(Killington, VT- October 26, 2026) Last Friday The Pipeline Project and Ski Vermont brought 180 students from nine schools and their teachers together with professionals from ski areas across the state for a day of career exploration, networking and hands-on learning opportunities. The event, hosted by Killington Resort, highlighted the range of year-round and technical careers available within the ski industry.
“Many students don’t consider a career in the ski industry because they aren’t aware of the many year-round opportunities available and that’s what this event is all about,” said Ski Vermont President Molly Mahar. “Outreach, education, and events like this are some of the tools we’re using to inspire the next generation of ski industry leaders.”
Ski Vermont is working with The Pipeline Project—founded to connect students and the ski industry—to increase awareness of career opportunities by offering students hands-on learning experiences and a direct connection to ski area professionals.
“Over the past year, we learned through outreach to students and teachers at Career Technical Education (CTE) centers that students were interested but had low awareness of ski area opportunities, which led to this career exploration day,” said Mahar.
“High school students get to see how their technical skills translate directly to ski industry careers,” says The Pipeline Project Founder and former CTE educator Tiffany Whitcomb. “it’s a way to offer a direct path to becoming a ski industry professional.”
The event offered students expert-led sessions like Intro Snowmaking and Ski Lift Electrical to Intro to Event Planning and The Culinary Challenge as well as mock job interviews and one-on-one discussions with industry professionals to learn about their jobs and paths into the ski industry.
“I’ve liked this stuff since I was a little kid,” said one participant working in a group to power motors, lights, and other devices by completing a circuit meant to model wiring of ski lift components. “I didn’t think I’d be doing something like this here today.”
Ski Vermont’s event with The Pipeline Project is part of an ongoing effort to highlight lifelong careers and upskilling opportunities in Vermont’s ski industry.
###
Ski Vermont (Vermont Ski Areas Association) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1969 to foster the prosperity and sustainability of Vermont’s ski industry. Ski Vermont supports its alpine and cross-country member ski areas in Governmental Affairs, Marketing and Public Affairs, and serves as an ambassador for tourism in Vermont, where skiing and snowboarding are the official state winter sports. The top ski state in the east and among the top destinations in the US, Vermont boasts world-class snowmaking quality, coverage, and efficiency, a wide variety of terrain, and a profound historical impact on the sports of skiing and snowboarding.
The Pipeline Project connects schools, educators, resorts, and industry partners to increase awareness of ski industry careers and strengthen long-term workforce development across the country.
