March 2, 2016, Leamington, Ont. – NatureFresh Farms is employing the power of social media to launch a recruitment drive to support the company’s Greenhouse Education Centre (GEC).
It recently launched WeAreTheGrower.com with its creative and digital partners to not only connect with college summer job seekers but also resonate with them the opportunity to educate consumers about greenhouse grown produce. The initiative is in support of this summers #GreenInTheCity Tour.
“Some may say that using social media is not unique. However we are focusing our strategic geo-targeted recruitment efforts towards specific college & universities that offer agriculture, agri-science, agri-business, health and food marketing programs,” said director of marketing Chris Veillon.
The recruitment drive is to attract college students looking for summer jobs in the industry to get real life, hands-on consumer facing experiences. As members of the GEC team, students will get to travel throughout eastern North America attending community events, schools, summer camps and connecting with consumers at retail events.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALISTS
Team members will be equipped with the latest technology in smartphones, tablets, and video equipment to share their exploits on NatureFresh’s social media channels and new web site/blog that will be launched later this spring. One applicant noted in their application that this was a summer job of a lifetime.
While some colleges are calling the employment opportunities internships, NatureFresh sees the opportunity in a different light.
“We have the opportunity to further invest in our industry by attracting and retaining students who want to have a career in the produce industry. The Greenhouse Education Centre is an impactful and game changing tool that we fully embrace which benefits the entire industry,” said Veillon.
CENTRE FOR GROWING TALENT
“The Centre For Growing Talent by PMA knows how critical internships are to university students and their career path,” said program director Alicia Calhoun.
“When companies like NatureFresh create platforms to bridge the gap between educational institutions and real life work settings, it creates the opportunity to generate interest in our industry. Programs like these provide students with a chance to take their career plan for a test drive and industry a chance to gain access to bright, new talent.”
NatureFresh continues to create positive learning experiences in the community throughout the year at a grass roots level by conducting informational sessions at schools and community gatherings that are lead by the company’s chef and sensory education coordinator Henry Furtado.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
By now involving students from colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada with the Greenhouse Education Centre, NatureFresh is providing quality hands on experiences to students to help them apply what they have learned in school to real life customer interactions.
“The Greenhouse Education Centre internship that NatureFresh is offering is a great way for local college students to help connect fresh produce with consumers in a variety of cities throughout North America this summer,” noted Eric Richer, Ohio State University Extension, Agriculture & Natural Resources.
“It seems to me that above and beyond educating about their company, the Greenhouse Education Centre team will educate about the process of growing greenhouse vegetables and the value of those vegetables in our daily diet. This creates a direct connection between the product and its benefits.”
REAL WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities like what NatureFresh™ Farms is creating only enhance a student’s education, they are being exposed to real world opportunities. “These very unique opportunities are sometimes few and far between so we encourage students to take advantage as often as they can,” said Larry Zink, Industry Relations/Outreach Coordinator, Michigan State University.
NatureFresh Farms expects to complete all of its hiring for the Greenhouse Education Centre by the end of March.
To learn more about the program, please visit WeAreTheGrower.com.
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