Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Focusing on CTE and Workforce Development
I’m excited to introduce myself as the new workforce development coordinator for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). I am stepping into this role with enthusiasm and a clear mission: to help build a strong, skilled pipeline of professionals for the fire sprinkler industry while directly supporting AFSA contractor members.
I bring experience from my time as a teacher, where I saw firsthand the need to connect classroom learning to real-world career pathways. Now, I’m channeling that passion into expanding opportunities for students to discover rewarding careers in the fire sprinkler industry. Most importantly, these careers offer excellent pay, job security, and the chance to make a genuine difference by protecting lives and property.
MY GOALS IN THIS ROLE
My primary objectives are to:
- Forge strong partnerships between schools, colleges, workforce boards, and AFSA chapters to integrate hands-on curriculum and industry-recognized experience into CTE programs.
- Raise awareness among students about the high-demand, high-value opportunities available in the fire sprinkler trade.
Help AFSA contractor members solve workforce shortages by delivering job-ready talent with essential skills in installation, safety, and system design.
These efforts build on AFSA’s long-standing commitment to our contractor members and ensure our industry continues to thrive for generations to come. Since stepping into the position, I’ve begun reaching out to local school districts and CTE programs to identify how we can partner together to bring fire sprinkler fitting into their curriculum.
I know these partnerships will only be truly successful if our AFSA contractor members come alongside me in this effort. I cannot build an effective program alone—I need your expertise and involvement. That’s why I’m calling on contractors to help by:
- Going into schools to participate in career fairs, give presentations, conduct live demonstrations, and show students what a career in the fire sprinkler industry entails.
- Providing work-based learning opportunities, including internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, and facility tours.
- Sharing your industry knowledge and real-world experience with students, parents, and school administrators to help them see this as a viable career path.
This collaboration between AFSA, local schools, and our contractors is the key to creating a sustainable and successful talent pipeline.
I’m truly passionate about showing students the incredible possibilities in our industry. By bridging education and the workforce, we can provide hands-on experiences that prepare the next generation for successful, fulfilling careers while meeting the urgent workforce needs of our contractor members.
AN OPEN INVITATION TO AFSA CONTRACTORS
I want to hear directly from you, our contractor members. Whether you are interested in joining a career fair at your local school district, offering student site visits or job shadowing, sponsoring internships, speaking in CTE classrooms, or discussing your current hiring challenges, I’m here to help coordinate it all.
Your active participation is essential. By investing your time and expertise, you will help grow the next generation of fire sprinkler professionals while strengthening your own company and our entire industry. Please reach out to me anytime at batuatasi@firesprinkler.org or call me at (214) 349-5965 ext 118. Let’s work together to schedule career fairs, plan school presentations and demos, or address your specific workforce development needs.
I’m honored to serve in this role and look forward to partnering with you to build the skilled workforce our industry needs to continue safeguarding communities across the nation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Belinda Atuatasi is AFSA’s new workforce development coordinator where she focuses on building meaningful partnerships between education and industry. In this role, Atuatasi works to connect CTE programs with the company’s fire sprinkler curriculum, helping students and educators access pathways into the fire protection industry. With a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California, and more than a decade of experience in education, Atuatasi has worked with learners across a wide range of ages and levels. Her background in education brings a student-centered perspective to workforce development, emphasizing collaboration with schools, instructors, and community partners to create practical, career-focused learning opportunities. She is passionate about strengthening the pipeline between classrooms and careers, ensuring that students are aware of and prepared for opportunities in the fire protection field.