ICIS Chemical Business recruitment blog

Students from Harper Park Middle School, in Leesburg, Virginia, and Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn, convened today to compete in the Chemical Educational Foundation's You Be The Chemist (YBTC) Challenge. The competition is sponsored by the National Association of Chemical Distributors and is aimed at grade 5-8 students.
 
The participants consist of the top four scorers from a qualification exam held at each school in January. Those with the top 20 highest scores from each school's qualification exam will receive Challenge T-shirts, note pads, and pencils. The top three winners of the Local Challenge will receive monetary prizes.

The winner of the competition will advance to the National YBTC Challenge on June 18 to go head to head with winners from across the country.

We reported on last year's winners on this very blog!

The latest issue of ICIS Chemical Business features another article focusing on our Education and Recruitment Campaign.

In finding a solution to the skills shortage problem, see how technology can help companies in the chemical and other process industries

Consultant's corner
John Taylor/AspenTech

ACROSS THE Western world in particular, process engineering companies have typically benefited from being able to access experienced talent in the form of operators, control/process engineers and general IT staff. Today, we are seeing the effects of a demographic time bomb. Thousands of engineers are on the verge of retirement and there is a shortage of staff with sufficient skills to replace these employees.

With pressure from the market and companies looking at rationalizing assets, this situation is likely to worsen - at least in the short term. Heightening the problem further is the fact that a prolonged recession is likely to accelerate the current trend among engineers to take early retirement.

The problem is particularly acute across the oil, gas and chemical sectors. According to international trade body the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the average age of a petroleum worker is 51. Nearly 60% are 45 or older. This represents a peak in the profile of existing workers and suggests that approximately 40% of the workforce will be lost over the next decade.

Continue reading the article...

What makes a boat float? How do magnets work?  What is liquid density? The CDP/EDP group in Allentown will be exploring these questions through interesting experiments with kindergarten and first grade students at the Saturday Morning On Campus (SMOC) program.

This enrichment program allows East Penn students to explore the wonders of science and is designed to explore various areas of scientific concepts by learning through hands on activities, beyond what they are exposed to during their weekly classes.  

Interested in volunteering for a Saturday in February or March? For more information email Air Products' Leroy Covington.

The UK's North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) is trying to find out how the regional chemical industry interacts with schools and colleges. NEPIC seems to be quite pro-active in encouraging engagement with local communities. How else will a huge site like Wilton, with residential developments not far away, continue to get the support of local people? Reducing the fear of the unknown is a key duty of the chemical industry and NEPIC should be praised for their work.

Click here for a link to the survey

The survey will help NEPIC's STEM Education Team decide upon the strategy that they should adopt when working with educationalists in the region: "we are seeking to map the interactions that companies have with schools, colleges and other related groups. These might be direct links that have been built by the company, or more indirect links through individuals within the company."

The deadline is 05/02/2010.

Any questions should be sent separately to ian.findley@nepic.co.uk.

 

The Wilton site at sunset

The latest issue of ICIS Chemical Business features another article focusing on our Education and Recruitment Campaign.

Despite Singapore's best efforts to tackle the chemical industry recruitment crisis, it is still proving a tough task to attract the right amount and quality of talent

John Richardson/Singapore

THE TASK of making sure Singapore has enough chemical engineers to support one of its key industries is as difficult in the island state as just about anywhere in the world. And there are also a few unique, local problems.

"As with elsewhere in the world, we have to contend with higher salaries in industries such as finance and information technology [IT]," says Lawrence Cheung, country manager of US-based Dow Chemical in Singapore and vice-chairman of the Singapore Chemical Industry Council [SCIC]. "Six out of 10 chemical engineering students who graduate in Singapore won't actually enter the chemical industry because of the attraction of these salaries.

"Of the remaining four, it's probably fair to say that two will be tempted overseas to other chemical industries by higher salaries."

Around 450 students graduate in chemicals engineering in Singapore each year, with a further 160 gaining degrees in environmental engineering.

Continue reading the article...

Just found this on the BBC website...

"Britain still doesn't seem to take a broad science education seriously when it deserves to be at the very heart of learning...

The Royal Society turns 350 this year and the celebrations have begun already. We British can be justifiably proud that this great institution has been a beacon for science since 1660.

It seems timely, then, to ask ourselves why Britain still does not seem to take a broad science education seriously."

Continue reading the BBC article...

ICIS news reports that US water chemicals firm Nalco has committed to being a founding member of a new Saudi Arabian university programme for industrial collaboration.

Nalco has signed an agreement with the newly established King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to join a programme that aims to promote industrial collaboration.

Read the full story...

By Lara Mcnamee

Sasol says it has awarded university bursaries to 188 students who completed a comprehensive orientation programme at the company's Secunda, South Africa operations.

During the programme, students participate in life and study skills workshops, while also being exposed to the Sasol operations and the plant environment. Sasol Secunda is said to be the world's largest Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) fuel plant and also houses Sasol Mining, which supplies coal to the CTL process.

The bursary scheme is stated as being a critical element in Sasol's talent development strategy. The bursary investment of Rmb45m in 2009 focused primarily on developing talent in science and technology, amongst other objectives.

"Sasol is investing now in talent that will develop into South Africa's next generation of scientists and engineers. These future professionals will support our company's ambitious growth plans for the future while also enhancing South Africa's pool of expertise in these sought-after professions," says Sasol's executive director, Nolitha Fakude.

"With the spot-light again on disappointing Grade 12 and maths and science results, along with ongoing skills shortages, we believe a multi-sectoral approach that includes South African business is vital in helping education in South Africa turn the corner towards success. With these objectives, we at Sasol are committed to our ongoing investment in skills development through practical training and support of learners, educators and educational institutions," continues Fakude.

Students wishing to study towards maths and science degrees such as Engineering, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Commerce in the 2011 academic year are invited to apply here. Applications close 5 March 2010.

By Lara Mcnamee 
 

DuPont and the Delaware Department of Education are launching a new biology course, Science and Global Issues (SGI), starting in January.  It has been developed by the Science Education for Public Understanding Program, University of California, Berkley, California, and distributed by Lab-Aids, Ronkonkoma, New York.

 

"The curriculum focuses on four overarching topics dealing with both biology and global issues," says DuPont senior research associate, Keith Wing.

 

 "Topics include evolution, cellular biology, genetics and ecology.  It links real-life issues and events, allowing students to learn in a practical environment," continues Wing.

 

Presently being field-tested around the US, SGI is a standards-based, issue-oriented two-year high school integrated science course.  The programme highlights the role of science in addressing the needs of modern society and the use of technology in advancing scientific knowledge.

 

Click here for more on DuPont.