Extension Holds First North Country Outdoor Industry Career Expo

UNH Cooperative Extension recently held the first ever North Country Outdoor Industry Career Expo, welcoming more than 1,000 students in grades 7-12 to the Lancaster Fairgrounds on Sept. 17 for a showcase that highlighted career possibilities in the outdoor industry.

The event welcomed students from more than 20 schools, including those in Coös County, northern Grafton and Carroll Counties and also eastern Vermont. The students were able to interact with more than 80 exhibitors who represented a wide range of industries, including utility companies, forestry, surveying, logging, skiing, mechanics, welding, sawmilling, firewood processing, drone operation, outdoor recreation, mountain biking, wildlife habitat, trucking, excavating, agriculture, maple syrup production, the Army National Guard and more.

Additionally, representatives were on hand from several post-secondary education providers, headlined by UNH, with the department of recreation management and policy and Extension both in attendance. Representatives from White Mountain Community College introduced their diesel mechanics and welding career paths, and Vermont State University and Lakes Region Community College also took part with representatives, displays and activities.

The expo provided UNH and Extension an excellent opportunity to engage with New Hampshire communities while showcasing a diverse array of career paths to hundreds of Granite State students.

"The expo was designed to introduce students to career possibilities in the outdoor industry that exist right here in our own back yards," says Ray Berthiaume, Extension forester and primary planner and organizer of the event. "Some of these occupations require post-secondary education of some degree, while others require certificates and apprenticeships. There are a lot of very good career opportunities within the outdoor industry that offer competitive wages and benefits, all while staying in the state, county, or even town where one grew up."

The inaugural expo was modeled after two successful Forest Career Field Days held at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown - led by New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association and their partners - as well as an Outdoor Industry Career Day held at the White Mountains Regional High School in 2022, Berthiaume says. The outdoor industry career expo expanded on those offerings by inviting additional schools to attend.

A differentiator for the expo in comparison to those previous events and others was the availability of a variety of hands-on activities.

"The majority of exhibitors came with something that the students could do and experience for themselves," Berthiaume says. "The attending students had the opportunity to run equipment, operate log loaders and portable sawmills, move piles of dirt, operate grapple skidder functions, process firewood, negotiate a mountain bike track, run a drilling machine, do some welding and a lot more."

Two helicopters arrived during the event, as well - one of two medical helicopters from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the lone helicopter from the New Hampshire State Police - providing another opportunity for students to discuss career options with professionals in the field.

Given the success of the debut, another expo is already in the works, currently scheduled for Sept. 15, 2026. It will once again give UNH an opportunity to lean in to its commitment to community engagement and stewardship as it continues to embrace ways to build even stronger relationships throughout the entire Granite State.

"While events of this type and size don't typically get planned, let alone take place, here in the North Country, there's no better place to expose students to these opportunities," Berthiaume says. "Someone, or in some cases everyone, from their local families takes part in the outdoor industry, either for recreation or employment. So it only made sense to hold this event locally."