FOCUS ON THE
WorkForce F
inding the right engineer with the right skills is often a difficult feat for companies in the advanced manufac- turing Industry. Even harder to find are welding engi- neers ready for automated welding applications in manufac- turing. Many engineers graduate from college unprepared for the real world demands of a specialized field. One company that has taken a proactive approach to equip the next generation of engineers with skills that match their needs before a job offer is ARC Specialties (Houston, TX). A designer and builder of automated manufacturing
systems, the company has spent years cultivating future engineers through involvement in high school and col- lege students’ academic careers. This proactive approach includes mentoring US FIRST Robotics Competition high school teams, donating automated welding systems to uni- versities, and helping promising candidates with internships and scholarships.
Ithamar Glumac, 23, is one of the latest new hires at ARC Specialties that proves the approach is working. Glumac is a welding engineer from LeTourneau University, one of only a handful of universities with a welding engineering program. ARC Specialties had success finding welding engineers
from LeTourneau, but identified that students would be more prepared for Day One in their careers if they had access to an
118
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | February 2014
Preparing Future Engineers for Day One on the Job
actual automated welding system on which they could gain hands-on experience. The company donated one of its sys- tems to the university, and Glumac was one of the first wave of students with access to the new resource.
ARC contacted university professors for input on promis- ing students interested in a career in automated welding. Glumac was one candidate mentioned, but he stood out not only because of experience with the donated welding system, but also because of his involvement in the US FIRST Robotics competitions throughout high school and colleges.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of ‘Focus on the Workforce,’
we took a second look at ARC Specialties, a company first featured here in 2009. As you'll see, their commitment to developing manufacturing leaders continues unabated.
For years, president of ARC Specialties Dan Allford has worked with US FIRST robotic teams as a sponsor and a mentor by hosting robot-building workshops at ARC’s main manufacturing facility. By working side-by-side with students, Allford and ARC engineers have been able to train students for the challenges and requirements that would await them if they choose a career in advanced manufacturing. Glumac was a robot driver and a chief engineer for his team during high school, and a volunteer for US FIRST robot- ics during college. Glumac and Allford undoubtedly crossed paths many times at robot competitions, though they did not know each other at the time. Allford had recent success with hiring another engineer that was from a robotics team spon- sored by ARC Specialties, so when he learned that Glumac
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124