Performance Racing Industry will launch a new workforce-development programme at the 2026 PRI Show, bringing students, educators and motorsport employers into a dedicated careers space.
NextGen Connect, presented by Carlyle Tools, is scheduled to debut during the show on 10–12 December at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. PRI says the initiative will combine show-floor activity with longer-term links between academic and trade programmes and industry employers.
The organiser has not disclosed a separate participation fee, a target number of students or employers, a placement commitment or a budget for the programme. The announcement establishes the format and initial partners, but does not promise jobs, internships or apprenticeships to individual participants.
A dedicated careers hub inside the trade show
NextGen Connect will occupy rooms Wabash 1 and 2 at the Indiana Convention Center. PRI says the space will offer educational sessions, resume reviews, professional headshots, networking, career guidance and access to representatives from motorsport businesses.
SimpleTire will provide the headshot service and present daily Lunch and Learn sessions. The first announced session, led by Racer on Demand founder Amanda Van Den Elzen, will address personal brand development. Further speakers and topics had not been published when PRI announced the programme.
A separate NextGen Connect Breakfast is planned for 12 December. Alba Colon, Hendrick Motorsports’ director of technical partnerships, is due to give the keynote, with Hendrick Motorsports listed as a supporting sponsor.
These activities give the initiative a practical show-floor structure rather than limiting it to a general commitment to young people. They also cover both technical and commercial career preparation, although PRI has not yet listed the employers that will participate or the vacancies they may bring.
Employer and education links are intended to continue
PRI says NextGen Connect will extend beyond the December event by connecting academic and trade programmes with employers, promoting internships, apprenticeships and co-operative placements, and creating ongoing dialogue between educators and companies.
That wider element is the most substantive part of the announcement for the motorsport industry. A trade-show careers area can introduce candidates to businesses, but a continuing employer–education network can also give colleges and training providers more current information about the skills, working practices and entry routes used by racing organisations.
The release does not identify participating schools, define how employers will join the network or set a timetable for the first placements. MRI is therefore treating those outcomes as PRI’s stated objectives rather than completed results.
Delivery will determine the programme’s value
PRI says more than 1,000 companies are expected to exhibit at its 2026 show. That creates a large potential audience for a careers initiative, but exhibitor attendance should not be confused with confirmed participation in NextGen Connect.
Useful measures will include the number and range of employers taking part, the academic and trade programmes represented, the quantity of structured conversations or applications generated and whether participants move into work experience, training or paid roles. None of those targets has been published.
The confirmed development is a new workforce programme with a physical base, named delivery partners and an intention to operate after the show. Its longer-term effect will depend on turning introductions into repeatable recruitment and training pathways.