By Michael Blakley, Marketing Director
One of the exciting things I discovered when I joined States
Industries as Marketing Director, is they have been hosting an internship
program over the years. This past
summer, our intern students were from Oregon State University and they worked
here at our hardwood plywood plant in Eugene, Oregon.
As a native Oregonian and proud participant in the wood
products industry, it is always rewarding to see companies and schools doing
things to attract young people to our industry. I hope this blog discussion will spark additional
interest in our industry as well as the science of forestry and in renewable,
sustainable industries.
States Industries has been focused and committed to the
responsible use of our natural resources and in using environmentally safe
materials in all our products. That made it easy to talk with our friends at
Oregon State University, where they shared this about their interns and
programs:
I asked them some of the reasons students choose the
forestry schools and they reported that “traditionally those students had
family in the industry and sawdust in their veins. Now, these students are choosing a degree in
Renewable Materials because they see an opportunity for knowledge and tools to
make the World a better place.”
Currently, Oregon State University has about 1,000 students enrolled in all 7 of
their undergraduate degree programs within the School of Forestry, and the
Renewable Materials degrees are steadily growing. Many students focus on quality control jobs
and then work their way into management and sales positions. Some of these careers have included doing research
and development for a wood ceiling company, managing international standards
and accreditation services, and management in large-scale forest products
companies. Some students pursue careers
in international marketing, including management of industry trade
associations. The internship opportunities such as the ones here at States
allow these students to get real world experience in the industry to help them
hit the ground running.
Finally, in an era of some job scarcity, it is refreshing to
note that the Renewable Materials Department at Oregon State University points
out there are more jobs in sustainable industries than people to fill
them. Consider some of these careers
with:
- Architectural firms
- Interior products companies
- Non-government organizations
- Green building companies
- Third-party environmental testing firms
So good luck to all who choose these exciting fields and
thanks to all who serve our broad base of business and industry. And to our wood worker friends and
craftspeople out there, always remember to work safely; wear eye and ear
protection and enjoy your craft!
For more information contained in this blog,
please visit:
