With the goal of introducing students to the world of ski and mountain resort careers, The Pipeline Project is a growing workforce initiative designed to address ski resorts’ labor shortages by connecting Career & Technical Education (CTE) students directly with mountain operations careers.
Led by former career technical educator Tiffany Whitcomb, founder and educator of the Pipeline Project, and supported by partners like Prinoth, the goal of this growing workforce initiative is very straightforward: to spread awareness while also establishing connections through events, presentations, online coursework and helping fast-track graduating students to ensure the resort or industry partner reviews their resume or portfolio.
“The current focus is on high school students with a targeted audience of CTE students, but the scope of work as the Pipeline evolves will encompass students of all ages,” said Tiffany. The industry gap that The Pipeline aims to fill is workforce development, particularly for the next generation of workers.
“Currently, there has not been a strategic or united approach when it comes to finding new, fresh and motivated workers,” she said. “According to the [National Ski Areas Association (NSAA)]’s latest National Wage and Salary survey, there is an average of 21.3 open positions per resort, which showcases the immediate need for The Pipeline Project.”
How it started
This initiative began after Tiffany, a former teacher, met her husband Jesse in 2014. “He has worked in the ski industry his whole life and, after learning more about what he does and seeing my students hit the slopes on the weekend, I tried to introduce my business students to ski industry careers,” she said. “However, as a teacher, I had a lot on my plate, and the idea remained just that.” Fast forward a decade to 2024, when the real initiative began.
“This is when I started talking with Earl Saline and Mike Lane from NSAA, asking about CTE at the high school level. I strongly felt every program had a direct path to a ski industry career. They connected me with Ski New Hampshire president Jessyca Keeler, who was very familiar with CTE and was hoping to find a way to get the attention of schools and students when it came to ski industry careers. In fall 2025, the Pipeline Project went from being a passion project with the financial support of Whitcomb Resolution to its own LLC.”
What the program offers
The program’s focus is to make students aware of ski career opportunities in the ski industry. Students can participate in events and presentations to learn more about ski careers and meet ski professionals.
The Pipeline works with the teacher or school contact and the student to develop a roadmap for the student during their high school tenure. This roadmap includes third-party coursework that the student can complete as well as work-based learning opportunities. As the student nears graduation, the Pipeline will help fast track the student’s resume or profile to its resort and industry members.
“Schools are always looking to showcase diverse career fields for its students,” said Tiffany. “By participating with The Pipeline, these schools are able to showcase unique career paths that are in high demand.”
Resorts and industry partners benefit from being part of a strategic and united approach to workforce development. Currently, the approach tends to be siloed with each resort and partner working independently, which may or may not include a dedicated staff member focusing on this initiative. “By working with The Pipeline, resorts [and] partners can now feel confident that best practices are being implemented and a pipeline is being created by an educational subject matter expert,” she said.
Rachel Templar, who works in Prinoth’s marketing department, says the company is very committed to the ski industry. “It’s like a big family and we all need to rely on each other to be successful. The Pipeline Project is all about creating and nurturing relationships.”
Currently, Prinoth is one of two Black Diamond sponsors, along with Leitner-Poma of America. “As a sponsor, we are providing funding to help get The Pipeline Project out into the world where students, schools and ski areas can connect,” Templar said.
As the world’s longest-standing manufacturer of snow groomers, Prinoth was founded in 1962 in the Italian Alps. Prinoth purchased Canadian manufacturer Bombardier in the mid-2000s. The company is constantly developing its technology and is committed to producing the world’s best grooming vehicles.
“Because of this, we know that supporting training and educational initiatives is vital to the success of the grooming industry, and the ski industry as a whole,” said Templar. “Operations staff need to understand the machines in order to utilize them to the fullest extent. When the groomers are operated and maintained properly, they are able to be used for thousands of hours to prepare slopes, parks and trails for thousands of happy skiers and riders.”
She says this initiative is important for manufacturers and suppliers, and Prinoth values working with its resort partners to make its grooming fleets better – from the machines to the operators to the technicians. “We value our resort relationships and know that when a resort has a knowledgeable, qualified mountain ops crew, the end product for the guests is better. The more knowledge that employees have, the better they are at keeping the resort running regardless of what Mother Nature throws at them.”
Ski Exploration Day
The program’s first ski event wrapped up in Oct. 15, 2025, and included hands-on demonstrations, equipment showcases, career talks and exposure to operations. Nine schools attended, and Pats Peak hosted, while 16 member resorts and industry partners attended. Approximately 120 people attended this impressive event. Students participated in this exciting, no-cost event by rotating through four main events that included the following:
- Resort tour: Led by Matt Harvey and the Pats Peak team, this was a “go behind the scenes” to see various departments, from lifts to snowmaking and how they work together to keep guests happy and the lifts running.
- Snowcat sit-in: Templar, James Egan, Mark Palmateer and Dante Ristaino from the Prinoth team climbed aboard a real grooming machine with students to show how operators shape trails before dawn. Everyone learned about groomer safety, hydraulics and why grooming is both science and art.
- Intro to ski lift electrical: Tim Smith, general manager of the Waterville Valley Ski Resort; Tim Brosanan, Ian Pratt and Michael Manley from Leitner-Poma of America helped students understand the systems that power the ski lifts. Students engaged in a hands-on learning activity to understand the basics of lift electrical.
- Careers Q&A and mock-job interview: This session was led by Tiffany, with Mark Petrozzi from LVL UP Academy as moderator, and with multiple New Hampshire resorts and industry partners having authentic conversations with student and teacher attendees through mock job interviews and an intimate career Q&A session.
Another way to connect ski professionals with local schools was through the networking luncheon. Schools and ski professionals were paired based on their proximity to each other to help encourage continued relationships long after the event.
At the end of this event, a closing ceremony featured students who were recognized as “gold goggle” winners for their exceptional mock job interviews. Students who received this status received certificates and had first dibs on ski swag. All student attendees received a certificate of attendance to help the industry identify students who have taken steps to learn more about ski industry careers.
What’s next
The Pipeline will run a spring Ski Career Exploration event in New Hampshire while continuing to work with students on their high school ski roadmaps. “The Pipeline is also moving into Vermont to hopefully run a Ski Career Exploration event for next school year and in conversations with other trade organizations throughout the country,” said Tiffany.
“There are 28 CTE centers in New Hampshire and 30-plus ski resorts, so it is a pretty safe bet to say that there is a nearby resort to many, if not all, CTE centers. All of these CTE centers will receive invitations for the next event. A limited number of student/teacher attendees (approximately 100) is allowed. Resorts can reach out to me to get involved. The Pipeline is trying to really focus on a united front with its workforce initiative in each state and having all resorts involved to better increase the exposure of our workforce needs.”
She says that, according to cetonline.org, New Hampshire is not unique in its proximity to CTE centers. There are 8.3 million high school CTE students across the country, which is encouraging, as there is most likely a local CTE program nearby every resort with students interested in ski industry careers. “These students may have an interest in remaining local or looking to relocate somewhere else in the country, which is being seen currently by students in New Hampshire having a mixed interest in staying local and relocating out west.”
She says that resorts interested in becoming a member to promote their resort as a career opportunity for The Pipeline graduating students and/or interested in collaborating to run a Ski Career Exploration can reach out to her directly to get involved. “The Pipeline is trying to really focus on a united front with its workforce initiative in each state and having all resorts involved to better increase the exposure of our workforce needs,” said Tiffany.
