October 2009 Archives

The NEPIC annual awards are fast approaching, and primary and secondary schools are invited to submit their entries for the environmental categories.

The BOC and NEPIC Environmental Award was launched for secondary schools back in 2005 but was so well received that the scheme was extended to encompass primary schools too.

Now, children aged up to 11 years old (primary) and 11-16 (secondary) can enter.

The aim is to help pupils understand their responsibility to the environment - through conservation, the protection and development of local ecologies, promoting recycling and reuse, and the preservation of air and water resources.

Schools interested in taking part should submit a brief summary of an environmentally-themed project with a rough breakdown of how a £2000 prize would be used to make their plans a reality.

Last year's winner saw primary school children transform wasteland at their school into a vegetable garden, while secondary school pupils created an organic community orchard.

The closing date for applications is November 13, with prizes awarded at NEPIC's Annual Dinner on January 15, 2010.

Download primary schools application
Download secondary schools application

It's great to hear about another vocational training course which could benefit the chemical sector in the UK. Please let us know about any other similar initiatives.

 
The Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD) was launched in schools and colleges across England in September. It is being taught in partnership with employers to give young people the chance to learn about manufacturing and develop the skills and knowledge they will need when they enter the workplace.

Chemical processing companies have until the last week in November to submit applications to help deliver a pioneering new qualification for 14-19 year olds from September 2010. 
The project team which developed the qualification is now looking for more companies, from all manufacturing sub-sectors, to sign up and help to introduce the Diploma in MPD in more areas from next year. By 2013, the Diploma in MPD will be available to all young people in every area across England.
 
Derek Jones, vocational programmes manager for the Diploma in MPD, said: "This is a great opportunity for businesses to help shape the workforce of tomorrow. We have a number of companies already working with us but this is an opportunity for more to come forward and support this new qualification ready for September 2010.
 
"Manufacturing companies have long spoken of the problems they face attracting young people into the sector and about finding skilled recruits who can add something to their business," added Derek. "Having a qualification that has been designed by industry provides us with an excellent opportunity to put this right."
 
The Diploma in MPD is already available in towns and cities including Plymouth, Sheffield, Stoke, Nottingham and London. Employers involved include some of the country's manufacturing giants like Cadbury, Polestar, Boeing, Siemens, Kawasaki Precision Machinery, Bombardier Transportation, Princess Yachts and Müller.
 
Employers directly contribute to the learning experience by giving talks to students, hosting site visits, setting topics for projects, mentoring students and offering work experience placements.
 
The Diploma in MPD has been developed to equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in manufacturing. It is being taught from a curriculum designed by the five manufacturing sector skills councils, including Cogent, the sector skills council for the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymer industries, in partnership with manufacturers. It is delivered by approved consortia made up of employers, schools and colleges, allowing students to divide their time between the classroom and real work environments.
 
Employers interested in getting involved from September 2010 are now being invited to join with schools and colleges in their local area to submit an application to create a consortium. 
 

By Lara Mcnamee

The winners of the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award 2009 have been announced. The first three prizes - all worth €10,000 - have been awarded by an independent scientific committee of the Bayer Science & Education Foundation.

The primary objectives of the foundation are the "recognition of outstanding research achievements", "the promotion of talented researchers" and "support for significant school projects of a scientific nature".

"Advances in fundamental and industrial research are the basis for innovation and growth. We want to promote research, and particularly young researchers, and at the same time strengthen excellence," says Wolfgang Plischke, member of the board of management of Bayer responsible for innovation, technology and environment, and member of the board of directors of the foundation.

"Research, sustainability and education play a central role for the inventor company Bayer. I am delighted that with these new awards we have a further chance to support and motivate young scientists," says Plischke.

The winning projects include:

Jürgen Groll from RWTH Aachen University who receives the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award 2009 in the "Materials" category.

Tobias Ritter from the department of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, US is presented with the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award 2009 in the "Chemistry" category.

Noriyuki Nishimura from the University of California, US is honoured with the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award 2009 in the "Biology" category.

To be eligible for the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award, candidates must have completed their doctorate within the last five years. The award is presented on the basis of the originality and quality of candidates' research and the significance of this work in the respective award category.

Sparking interest in science and technology at an early age is critical to the future of the chemical industry. But what happens after a graduate chooses his or her career path? How can the momentum be sustained?

To expose new graduates to real-life business experience, Air Products takes them through its Career Development Program (CDP) - it hires graduates into the program for about a two-year period to work on three assignments.

And these assignments are not set in stone. A CDP member can pick and choose, seeing where his or her capabilities fit best within the company.

The Air Products CDP, created by company founder Leonard Pool, is now in its 50th year. When the program started in 1959, the company had sales of $48m (€32m) versus $10.4bn in fiscal 2008 (ended September).

The last three CEOs of Air Products, including current chairman, president and CEO John McGlade, all started their careers with Air Products through the CDP.

"Even if participants fall in love with their first assignment and decide that's all they want to do, we've found over the years that taking the other two assignments either validated their initial choice or opened their ideas to other opportunities," McGlade said in an interview with ICIS.

See the interviews on ICIS news (subscription required):

http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/10/20/9256695/Spurring-student-interest-in-science-is-critical.html

http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/10/20/9256693/Student-visa-limits-hinder-US-chem-growth-Air-Products.html

"It also gives people the ability to network and build relationships in other parts of the company so they can have those contacts as they develop their careers," he added.

Sarah Arscott (pictured with McGlade - during the actual interview!), is a graduate from Villanova University's College of Engineering who has been working as a maintenance engineer for Air Products in the CDP for about 3 months.

"The variety of opportunities available in this program means I can take my career in many different directions and work and contribute in a wide range of areas."

Right now, she works in a maintenance engineering group of about 20, helping coordinate projects with technicians.

"Even so far I've been able to get my hands on a variety of upgrade projects at a couple dozen sites. A pipeline may need a new valve, so I'm coordinating with technicians and getting these upgrades implemented on a fast track," said Arscott.

"The ability to see real projects like that and see my work make a difference is a great feeling, especially this early in my career," she added.

Sarah's dream job 5-10 years from now? Developing and executing large scale capital projects worldwide.

"Project developmnet and execution - coordinating with people and driving projects forward - is something I'm really passionate about," she said.

"We invest $1.5bn a year, so we need talented project managers that can bring together the commercial, operational, engineering and technical resources necessary to build a $150m hydrogen plant, or a $100m oxygen plant, whether it's in Texas, China, or Saudi Arabia," said McGlade.

Among Arscott's many achievements, she received the Mentzer Award at Villanova in May, due in large part to her role as Chapter President for two years of nonprofit humanitarian organization Engineers Without Borders, and Chapter President of the Society of Women Engineers at Villanova in her senior year.

Look for the November 16 issue of ICIS Chemical Business, which will feature CEOs talking about the all-important topic of education and recruitment.

 

Photo: Air Products CEO John McGlade and Sarah Arscott in the CDP (Credit: Air Products)

Universities provide a low-risk route to assessing technologies and proving feasibility

Collaborating with universities can help companies cut their product development times, reduce risk when developing new technologies and find new recruits.

Universities can provide the expertise required to verify whether a new idea is a good idea, and can cut the cost of inevitable failures, says Susan Ehrlich, business director for renewable technologies at US-based specialty chemical company W.R. Grace.

"We leverage their competencies and their equipment to prove the feasibility of something, before we go and make an investment to purchase that type of equipment or hire that type of expertise," she says. "If we were to do it ourselves, we'd have to hire the person, hire the technician, build the equipment, find the lab. And if it's not successful, you've wasted all that money."

Partnerships with academia provide access to new scientific knowledge, expertise and facilities, which are fundamental for companies that want to be competitive on a global scale in developing high-value products, asserts Colin Tattam, director of projects at Chemistry Innovation, a UK government-funded initiative that encourages knowledge transfer between universities and companies.

Continue reading the full article...

The US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting a science and engineering education day for middle school children of Hispanic descent at the Mannheim Middle School in Chicago.

On October 9, around 40 students in one class learned how energy works, and what it takes to power an entire home or even just to use a simple hair dryer. Chemicals and DNA were the subject of another class.

Argonne said their mission is to inform Hispanic children that there are opportunities in science as a career.

It looks like the UK city of Manchester is doing a great deal to promote science amongst schools.

A festival is planned for the end of the month. There are events for school children, plus sessions for school teachers. There are also ties up with local universities.

Have a look at this wonderful, lively home page.

Despite possessing golf skills much to be be desired, I was honored to participate in SOCMA's 6th Annual Member/Guest Charity Golf Tournament in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, US, last month.

The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) welcomed representatives from over 40 companies this year at the Manufacturers' Golf & Country Club. Golfers of all levels enjoyed beautiful weather and a day of networking, friendly competition and prizes.

A donation will be made by SOCMA to ACS's Scholars' Program from this year's tournament. Following tradition, the check will be presented to ACS at SOCMA's 88th Annual Dinner, being held December 7 at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City.

As a true "hacker" or beginner, I was a bit hesitant about playing with some real pros. The grass actually quivers before I take a swing.

Much to my relief, upon arriving on the course the morning of September 29, I found that we'd be playing a "scramble" format - meaning our team of 4 would choose the best shot from each player to play off of.

And I was fortunate to have such friendly and encouraging folks in my group - Nance Dicciani (former head of Honeywell Specialty Materials and now with Troon Holdings, private equity firm Advent International and on various company boards), Andy Harris (CEO of Syrgis), and Larry Brotherton (founder and CEO of Ortec).

Their patience was incredible, along with their play. Nance won "closest to the pin" for women, and our team came close to placing.

The 2009 tournament winners were:

1st Place:
Ed Flynn - FMC Corporation
Michael Wilsom - FMC Corporation
Ken Garrett - FMC Corporation
Charlie Hinnant - Charkit Chemical Corporation

2nd Place:
Holland Jordan- SOCMA
Dave Swallow - ChemOrganics
Bryant Hinnant - Charkit Chemical Corporation

Longest Drive:
Ladies: Cecilia Hernandez - American Chemical Society
Men: Gary Jeter - G4S Wackenhut

Closest to the Pin:
Ladies: Nance Dicianni - Troon Holdings, LLC: 14'8"
Men: Bryant Hinnant - Charkit Chemical Corporation: 6'3"

Following the tournament, players gathered together for pre-dinner networking in the Clubhouse during the cocktail reception. Dinner, sponsored by Chemspec Events, included an awards ceremony recognizing winning players.

Special thanks to Ben Jones of Century Global who provided perfect arrangement for the day and the use of his course as a member. Mark Carrier of FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants donated his time to serve as Chairman of the planning team, and hosting the awards ceremony.

Many companies also helped make the event possible. GFS Chemicals sponsored Hole 1. Syrgis sponsored Hole 10. Dow Chemical sponsored Hole 18. Attendee gift donations were made by BASF, Cycolnix and Syrgis. SOCMA also thanks Dinner sponsor Chemspec Events and C&EN, its Offical Media Partner.

 

Photo: Andy Harris, Joseph Chang, Larry Brotherton, Nance Dicciani. Photo credit: SOCMA

A pioneering new qualification aimed at increasing the number of talented, ambitious young people looking to pursue a career in the chemicals and polymer industry has been launched in classrooms across England.
 
The Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD) is available to pupils and students aged 14 to 19. It has been developed to sit alongside traditional academic qualifications such as GCSEs and A-Levels. The qualification is being delivered by consortia of local schools, colleges and employers, allowing students to divide their time between classroom, college and real work environments.
 
Championed by some of the country's leading manufacturing employers, the new Diploma in MPD has been designed to equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in industry, and will be taught from a curriculum designed by employers for employers.
 
Derek Jones, who leads the project team behind the Diploma in MPD, said: "It has been developed in consultation with over 5,000 employers, universities and colleges. The content is intended to give young people a well-rounded set of skills applicable to manufacturing, and also ensure they have a good mix of general employment skills prior to entering the workplace.
 
"It has been created to involve the manufacturing industry directly in the education of the future workforce. This will enable employers to pass on work-relevant skills and knowledge and also give them the opportunity to inspire a new generation to join their industry."
 
Employers involved in delivering the Diploma from this autumn include Du Pont, McKechnie Plastic Components, Siemens, Nestle and Nampac. They will be directly contributing to the learning experience by giving talks to students, hosting site visits, setting topics for projects, mentoring students and offering work experience placements.
 
All students taking the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design will study the principal topics business and enterprise, product design and materials science and production systems. The additional and specialist learning element gives students the chance to tailor their qualification by taking courses related to particular manufacturing sub-sectors. They will also be assessed in functional skills including English, maths and ICT, as well as 'soft' skills such as team working and critical thinking.

Employers interested in getting involved in the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design from September 2010 are now being invited to apply. The application process for new consortia of businesses, schools and colleges is open until November 25, 2009. For further information about forming or joining consortia, visitwww.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/G4consortiaguidance. Employers can also contact their local Education Business Partnership (www.nebpn.org) for information about working with schools and colleges in their area.

By Lara Mcnamee

So you have a degree... but what now? Shell has taken the hard work out of the "what next" scenario with its degree matcher system. Just enter your degree and it will come up with the best matched jobs that the company has to offer.

For example, someone with a chemical engineering degree gets a wide choice of careers from a petrophysicist through to a process engineer via the degree matcher. It also allows you to search for jobs by location. 

Shell also has a YouTube page where its employees talk about their roles. 

BY HEATHER MCGUIRE DOYLE

The Kansas City Section of the Society for Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) held a two-day lubrication school in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 25-26.

What is tribology? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, the study of design, friction, wear and lubrication of interacting surfaces in relative motion.

Those newer to the industry learned the basics on lube and fuel additives, and the more experienced learned about new trends and important regulations, including lubricants for wind turbines, GF-5 standards, and the new diesel exhaust fluid requirements for 2010.

The training was designed for professionals involved in the formulation, production, sales, plant management and maintenance in the lubricants and fuels industries. The evening ended with a fun social at the Kansas City Royals baseball game.

Proceeds from the program help fund scholarships for Kansas and Missouri students entering or enrolled in a college-level program with an emphasis on engineering, science and technology. The STLE holds technical education courses throughout the year in various cities.

Read stories on ICIS news from the event (subscription required):