PPB May 2017

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| MAY 2017 | 13
INNOVATE
Two New Initiatives
Draw Students ToThe Industry
1. PPEF Pilot Program
Promotional Products Education
Foundation (PPEF) is in its second year
of a pilot program that sets up named
scholarships at selected universities/
colleges that will then be awarded by the
schools to students studying in fields related
to the promotional products industry. The
program is a collaboration between PPEF
and industry companies. In addition to
providing the scholarships, the companies
are expected to do outreach and provide
internships through the school.
The pilot program started in 2016
with the Promotional Products Education
Foundation – Signet Scholarship at
the Fogelman College of Business
and Economics at the University of
Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, and
the Promotional Products Education
Foundation – Brand Fuel Scholarship at
Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh,
North Carolina.
“PPEF is expanding the pilot program
by up to an additional 10 companies,”
says Sara Besly, PPEF Foundation
manager. “The work group is tracking
successes and failures, determining time
and resources involved and developing
templates and guidelines as we progress.
PPEF is controlling the growth to
determine if this is scalable to the whole
industry. We have several companies
interested in participating and I am
currently researching schools in these
companies’ business areas to see if the
named scholarships start at the dollar
commitment that we have set as the
target amount ($10,000 over four years).”
PPEF has set up one new program
in 2017. The Promotional Products
Education Foundation – BrandVia
Scholarship will be awarded at San Jose
State University in San Jose, California.
“For the next four years, the $2,500
scholarship will be awarded annually to
a junior or senior majoring in marketing.
The selection process will be coordinated
by SJSU for students with a minimum
GPA of 3.0 who have a financial need,”
Besly says.
If your company is interested in
participating in the PPEF Pilot Program,
email Sara Besly at .
2. PPAI Intern Program
Just in time for the summer internship
season, PPAI is excited to announce its
latest industry education program. The
PPAI Intern Program gives companies
the tools they need to effectively manage
internship programs. Internships are a
great way to introduce future generations
to the power of the promotional products
industry. PPAI makes it easier for your
company to target, hire, train and learn
from a college intern.
The PPAI Intern Program Includes:
• Promotional Products 101 , a
publication that brings interns up to
speed on industry basics
• A lineup of targeted webinars focusing
on the needs of interns to help them
learn what they need to know to
be successful
• Guidance from Seth Barnett,
PPAI’s diversity development and
engagement manager
• Temporary access to a SAGE Total
Access user license giving interns full
access to the industry’s sourcing and
business management tools
• A chance to win free admission to
SPARK, the PPAI conference for young
industry professionals, which will be
held in Denver, July 27-28, 2017
• Personalized collateral for
participating employers
• Comprehensive Internship FAQs for
prospective employers
• A chance for each participant in the
PPAI Intern Program to win a $1,000
scholarship. One winner will be
randomly chosen from candidates who
successfully complete all requirements
of the PPAI Intern Program. The winner
will be announced by August 31, 2017.
For more information on PPAI’s Industry
Intern program, visit
advocacy/diversity-engagement/
ppai-intern-program or email
Why Should You
Hire An Intern?
There are numerous long-
term benefits from initiating
an internship program.
• High potential to convert
interns into full-time employees
• Allows you to test-drive interns
by evaluating how well they fit
into your company culture
• Provides you with valuable
feedback about your
business operations
• Helps you prepare to hire
more Millennials in the future
• Allows you to tackle projects
that regular employees
wouldn’t be able to complete,
maximizing productivity
for the entire company
• Increases your company’s
visibility via word of
mouth or testimonials
Source: PPAI Comprehensive Internship
FAQs for prospective employers