The first time I walked into a high school classroom to talk about our industry, I asked a simple question: “Has anyone here heard of audio video or systems integration as a career?”
Not a single hand went up.
By the end of my session, after showing photos and videos from real client projects, the questions started flying in:
- How do you get into this kind of work?
- Do you have to go to a four-year college to work in this industry?
- Are there jobs like this around here?
That day was a turning point for me.
What Started as Classroom Visits Became Much More
My journey with the NSCA Education Foundation started with the Ignite initiative in 2017. I loved the idea of getting in front of students early and showing them that our industry has a ton of potential. As an Ignite Ambassador, I spent time in high schools promoting career visibility: showing them what we do, how technology and space come together, and what a career in this industry can look like.
From there, I joined the NSCA Education Foundation Board of Directors. It immediately became clear that the NSCA Education Foundation wasn’t just “talking” about workforce development. They were actually doing something about our industry’s career visibility problem by going straight to the source: high schools, universities, programs, and students. The focus on early awareness and real-world exposure pulled me in even deeper and eventually led to me being named president of the board from 2022 to 2024.
When I was in high school, initiatives like Ignite didn’t exist. As a result, I found this industry later. Once I was in it, mentors and industry events helped accelerate my career. That’s a big reason why I care so much about the NSCA Education Foundation’s work: I want students to see these opportunities much earlier than I did, and I want them to have a clearer roadmap from high school to a great career.
When Budgets Are Tight, Career Outreach Still Matters
Programs like Ignite, along with scholarships to attend NSCA events like the Business & Leadership Conference (BLC) and the Excellence in Business Operations (XBO) Experience, open doors that most students don’t know exist. They help young people get into the room, see our world up close, and start to picture themselves in it. That’s how you turn “I’ve never heard of this” into “This could be my next step after graduation.”
When budgets are tight or hiring slows down, it can be tempting to pull back on outreach and recruitment efforts. But students don’t stop graduating when the economy is volatile.
If we pull back on outreach during those difficult seasons, we risk losing attention and interest from an entire wave of talent. Staying present in classrooms and early career spaces keeps an open pipeline for the future technicians, engineers, and leaders we need.
Stop Waiting for Talent to Find You
Serving as an Ignite Ambassador, NSCA Education Foundation Board Member, and eventually NSCA Education Foundation President, was an honor. For me, this work has always been about making sure the next generation doesn’t simply “stumble” into this industry by accident like I did but about inviting them in.
The NSCA Education Foundation and its Ignite program make it easy to get involved. Whether you’re interested in visiting a classroom, supporting a student scholarship, or lending your expertise to the Foundation’s mission, there’s a place for you.
Tobi Tungl is the chief marketing officer at CTI.
