Start Date
08/07/2025
End Date
08/07/2027
Description
Join us for an engaging webinar celebrating the first year of NWACC’s Trail Technician program—a groundbreaking step in professionalizing the trail industry. We’ll reflect on key lessons learned, highlight student successes, and share our vision for growing the next generation of skilled trail workers. Learn how our collaborative work with American Trails, the Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA), and NOCTI led to the creation of our curriculum and the Trail Technician Level 1 certification—now a national benchmark for workforce development in this sector. Hear how faculty, students, and industry partners worked together this year to meet a critical workforce need while raising the standard for trail planning, construction, and stewardship. Whether you're an employer, educator, or outdoor enthusiast, this is your chance to see how NWACC and its partners are blazing a new path forward—one that values skill, equity, and a shared commitment to the future of our trails.
Distance Learning
Yes
Course Equivalency
No
Subjects
Parks & Recreation
Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Hours
1.0
Learning Outcomes
Participants will learn about the process of creating a national competency exam for a new industry and how the Trail Competency Framework served as the base for this accreditation.
Participants will learn about the importance of standardizing training for an industry, how NWACC's curriculum is based on the Trail Competency Framework, and how they can join NWACC's innovative program through hybrid and online classes.
Participants will learn about Apprenticeship Programs and the Department of Labor.
Instructors
Megan Bolinder, Executive Director, Trails and Trades Division, NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) Lori Greminger, Direct of Trails Trade School, NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC)
Course Codes
Provider
American Trails