3/1/2002
Why Doesn’t Anybody Want EREF’s Cash?
By Doug Kaufman
Seen anybody running around the streets of your town or across your television stations wearing a suit covered with brightly colored question marks? You know the guy: he promises that the U.S. Government’s going to give away a half-a-zillion dollors in student loans and grants this year and all you have to do to get your share of the pie is to buy his book or video or whatever he’s pitching.
If you’ve seen the guy on TV or heard his spiel on the radio, you’ve probably simply muttered, "yeah, right...nobody is going to just give me money to go back to school."
The normal reaction perhaps, but that’s where you’re wrong, bucko. There is a man who wants to give away money for schooling – the problem is, he can’t find anyone to take the money.
I don’t know if Jim Rickoff, vice president of marketing for the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) owns a punctuation-covered suit, but I do know he has a lot of questions for the members of the engine building community. Particularly, what does he have to do to give away free money?
"Traditionally, AERA’s Engine Rebuilders Educational Foundation (EREF) has provided about $20,000 in annual funding," Rickoff explains. This money can be used to help pay for training costs for you and your employees and is typically awarded in $1,000 scholarships.
" ‘It’s just what the industry needs,’ people say, but the hardest part is finding eligible applicants who are willing to apply," Rickoff says. "It’s like pulling teeth trying to give this money away!"
Looking for quick cash? Here’s what you do: Instead of calling that number on the screen to see how you can get $15,000 to open up a Bagel Brewpub or $5,000 for a French Coffee Hut, contact EREF at (847) 541-6500. Ask about applying for one of the scholarships or grants available and make a REAL investment in your – and the industry’s – future.
Your opportunity doesn’t have to come covered in question marks.