The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is excited to introduce NASPO Ignite, a new identity for NASPO’s Talent Development Department and initiatives that reflects the association’s growing efforts to attract, prepare, and develop resources for the next generation of public procurement professionals.

NASPO Ignite will serve as the umbrella for NASPO’s talent development efforts, bringing together multiple areas of programming, including NASPO Internship Connect, the newly expanded Academic Talent Expansion Program, the NASPO Academic Scholarship, and partnerships with DECA and TotalForce+. Together, these programs aim to support students, emerging professionals, career changers, members transitioning out of military careers, military spouses, and others interested in exploring careers in public procurement.

Along with this announcement, NASPO is renaming its existing internship program to NASPO Internship Connect. The new name highlights the commitment to the program’s central purpose: connecting students with internship opportunities at participating state procurement offices nationwide, where they can gain meaningful experience, build professional connections, and explore careers in the procurement and public service professions.

The Academic Talent Expansion Program supports state procurement offices in developing partnerships with colleges and universities to promote student engagement and create career pathways tailored to each state’s workforce needs. By connecting academic institutions with public procurement leaders, the program helps students gain a stronger understanding of the profession while helping states build their future talent pipelines.

Through NASPO Internship Connect, participants can work alongside procurement professionals on projects supporting government operations, technology, transportation, contracts, purchasing, and other initiatives that serve communities every day. The program also supports participating state offices by providing resources, guidance, and professional development opportunities to create meaningful internship experiences while introducing more people to careers in public procurement.

“Public procurement needs people who understand how the government serves its communities, and that starts with awareness,” said Brandi Ann Willard, Director of Strategic Initiatives at NASPO. “With NASPO Internship Connect and the Academic Talent Expansion Program, students get an inside look at the meaningful work that state offices and their professionals are doing. Both programs create pathways into public service that benefit everyone involved.”

The mission of NASPO Ignite remains clear: to create opportunities that strengthen the future workforce of public procurement and public service. To learn more about NASPO Ignite, visit naspoignite.org.

About NASPO: NASPO® is a true non–profit association dedicated to advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence, and integrity. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization that helps its members achieve success as public procurement leaders through the promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies. www.naspo.org

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