Press Releases
Workshop Aims to Help Ag Industry Interns Finish Summer Strong
July 8, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
PDP logo
Program Flier
Photo of Accelerate students [caption at bottom]
Workshop Aims to Help Ag Industry Interns Finish Summer Strong
Register interns today for July 22 workshop hosted by Professional Dairy Producers
DAIRY NEWS – With most summer internships entering their second month, now is the time for agricultural employees to register their summer interns for a one-day workshop hosted by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP). PDP Accelerate™ is designed to complement the hands-on experiences students are gaining in their internships while also offering a level of concentrated professional-development training employers might not have the capacity to offer. In addition to enhancing skills attendees can use in their current positions, the program also aims to equip students with the tools they need to position themselves as strong candidates for the workforce upon graduation.
The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on July 22, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Madison East in Madison, Wisconsin. Accelerate™ will be facilitated by Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc. Hoffman brings more than 25 years of experience in training leaders in sales, customer loyalty and leadership skills and has built strong connections within the dairy industry.
Networking, meeting other people in the industry and learning to proficiently market oneself are some of the skills attendees appreciate, according to surveys. Hannah Shore attended Accelerate in 2024 as a summer intern with Agromatic Inc. and noted that learning to confidently convey one’s ideas to others is another valuable part of the program.
“We also learned a lot about how to present ourselves in an interview and how to put in the work before hand and really prep yourself for success,” Shore said.
This year, a combination of classroom-style training and interactive group activities will specifically focus on presentation skills. Interns will return to their internships with the confidence to address different audiences based on understanding how to read the room, tailor their messages and connect with an audience. Attendees will also learn to incorporate intentional props into a presentation to keep an audience interested in a meaningful way, as well as several other leadership and communication skills. Full program details and agenda can be found here.
Registration includes workshop, materials and lunch. Learn more about PDP Accelerate and register interns by visiting www.pdpw.org or calling 800-947-7379.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
###
PHOTO CAPTION: PDP Accelerate™ attendees work together to problem solve during the 2024 edition of the program. The event helps enhance the communication and leadership skills of college-age agricultural summer interns, benefiting their current employers when they return to their positions for the remainder of the summer.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
PDP logo
Program Flier
Photo of Accelerate students [caption at bottom]
Workshop Aims to Help Ag Industry Interns Finish Summer Strong
Register interns today for July 22 workshop hosted by Professional Dairy Producers
DAIRY NEWS – With most summer internships entering their second month, now is the time for agricultural employees to register their summer interns for a one-day workshop hosted by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP). PDP Accelerate™ is designed to complement the hands-on experiences students are gaining in their internships while also offering a level of concentrated professional-development training employers might not have the capacity to offer. In addition to enhancing skills attendees can use in their current positions, the program also aims to equip students with the tools they need to position themselves as strong candidates for the workforce upon graduation.
The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on July 22, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Madison East in Madison, Wisconsin. Accelerate™ will be facilitated by Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc. Hoffman brings more than 25 years of experience in training leaders in sales, customer loyalty and leadership skills and has built strong connections within the dairy industry.
Networking, meeting other people in the industry and learning to proficiently market oneself are some of the skills attendees appreciate, according to surveys. Hannah Shore attended Accelerate in 2024 as a summer intern with Agromatic Inc. and noted that learning to confidently convey one’s ideas to others is another valuable part of the program.
“We also learned a lot about how to present ourselves in an interview and how to put in the work before hand and really prep yourself for success,” Shore said.
This year, a combination of classroom-style training and interactive group activities will specifically focus on presentation skills. Interns will return to their internships with the confidence to address different audiences based on understanding how to read the room, tailor their messages and connect with an audience. Attendees will also learn to incorporate intentional props into a presentation to keep an audience interested in a meaningful way, as well as several other leadership and communication skills. Full program details and agenda can be found here.
Registration includes workshop, materials and lunch. Learn more about PDP Accelerate and register interns by visiting www.pdpw.org or calling 800-947-7379.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
###
PHOTO CAPTION: PDP Accelerate™ attendees work together to problem solve during the 2024 edition of the program. The event helps enhance the communication and leadership skills of college-age agricultural summer interns, benefiting their current employers when they return to their positions for the remainder of the summer.