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Career & Workforce

Choosing a career path

The past couple of months have been prime time for academic graduations. Graduation ceremonies, aptly named commencements, mark a time when graduates look forward to starting a new phase of their journeys. For some, it means moving on to a…

Bookshelf for May 2023: Recently Published Books for the CPI

The following is a list of recently published books that may be relevant for various parts of the chemical process industries (CPI):  Fire Protection Handbook, 21st edition. By the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, 2023, two-volume set, $749. Contract Strategies…

Supporting advanced manufacturing

Manufacturing is becoming more advanced as companies adopt new technologies to stay competitive and to help achieve newer sustainability goals. The Covid-19 pandemic and issues, such as supply-chain shortages, have accelerated this adoption, particularly of digitalization. The shift to advanced…

The gender gap in engineering

Each year since 2001, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE; www.swe.org) has analyzed the research addressing issues related to women in engineering professions. Last month, SWE released a retrospective analysis [1] of what has been learned over the past 20…

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Owning Your Career: Taking a Hard Look at ‘Soft’ Skills

A personal development strategy helps to set engineers up for success in their personal and professional lives As chemical engineers, we have been trained to be data-driven, fact-based problem-solvers. This focus serves us well when we are tackling difficult technical…

Industry Mentors: An Integral Part of Education

An experienced engineer who mentors young engineers and a student mentee share their perspectives Mentors provide critical support and guidance to students pursuing an engineering education, and complement coursework aimed at readying a new engineer for the workforce. Mentorships can…

Overcoming The Talent Dearth

A shortage of technical talent and experience is challenging many in the chemical process industries. Steps that can be taken to improve the situation are discussed The changing professional climate and the vexing economic situation among technology-based companies are leading…

Engineering Internships: A Win for Students and Companies

Insights to the benefits of internships for both students and the employing companies are discussed Internships have become an important part of the professional landscape. Both students and companies in the chemical process industries (CPI) benefit from the relationship. For…

Career Guidelines for Young Engineers

A senior engineer reflects on his career and shares his experience and wisdom with the next generation of engineers While all engineering degrees are inherently valuable and flexible when it comes to career options, the engineering sphere has never been…

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Feeling the ‘brunt of prosperity’ on CPI Workforce issues

While staffing issues continue to be a tremendous challenge for companies in the chemical process industries (CPI), a number of strategies and training approaches are emerging to help address the need for trained engineers and skilled tradespersons. The shale-gas boom…