In Black Executive Exchange program, students get mentors, businesses scout talent

Growing up, UPS vice president of U.S. sales Gerard Gibbons learned more than a little about the corporate world while at home, as his entrepreneur parents regularly hosted business executives.

Many students don’t get such a chance, though, and that’s one reason Gibbons became a “BEEPER,” a participant in the National Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program, which is holding its annual conference this week in Atlanta.

Since 1969, the program has brought executives from more than 1,000 corporations together with more than 900,000 students from 84 historically black colleges and universities for career mentoring.

This week, 160 students and 360 executives are participating.

Gibbons has been doing it for 15 years.

“It exposes them to positive role models and career opportunities they might not otherwise consider in school,” Gibbons said.

The conference is only one aspect of the program. Executives make an annual trip to a college where they talk to students in and out of the classroom, offering wisdom that ranges from résumé and interview tips to advice on researching a prospective employer. They are also referred to as “visiting professors.”

For the companies, the program provides exposure to a pool of talent that eventually can result in the hiring of some of the students participating.

“All businesses are looking for talented entry level folks,” said Skip Spriggs, a Roswell-based human relations consultant who formerly worked for Home Depot and UPS.

“This is an opportunity for the [businesses] to see these young kids, probably from their junior year on, participate in debates and business strategy competitions. It’s a chance to see the talent before it hits the market.”

This week’s conference features sessions on financial management, global careers, personal branding and the green economy.