In 2005, after two years without a structured Intern program due to the downturn in Aerospace after 9/11, NORDAM re-introduced the Intern Program with 12 interns (eight engineering students, three business students, and one graphics design student). The program proved to be very successful and has continued to grow since then with sixteen interns (14 engineering students and two business/graphic design students) in the summer of 2006. 16 engineering interns participated in the program during the summer of 2007 and 18 engineering interns have accepted positions for summer of 2008.
Year-round college recruiting efforts have been concentrated primarily on state schools (TU, OU, OSU and OSU-Tulsa); however, NORDAM does recruit from other schools in this region.
Preparations
Intern requirements are submitted each year in the fall, Engineers and Recruiters attend engineering-specific career fairs, and on-campus interviews are scheduled. A Mentor for each Intern is identified prior to the selection process and every effort is made to match interns to the engineering discipline (design, analysis, manufacturing, process improvement, etc.) in which they have indicated an interest based on interviews. Meetings begin in January/February to start the process of preparing for the interns’ arrival. The Mentors are tasked with identifying projects for the Interns to work on – these must be actual engineering projects that will allow the Intern to get hands-on engineering experience. Project plans must be spelled out in some detail with backup plans identified as well to fill any down time. Preliminary project plans must be turned in to the Mentor Coordinator by mid-March with finalized plans due by May 1st.
Purpose
The Intern program has been designed to aid in recruiting Engineers by introducing them to real-world application of engineering skills they have learned in a classroom setting. The student has the opportunity to demonstrate what he/she is capable of and the supervisor/mentor has a chance to evaluate the student’s potential - in all reality, a 12 week "working interview". This is a good process for familiarizing students with NORDAM in the hopes that they will consider NORDAM when graduating from college. NORDAM’s Intern Program has gained recognition at local colleges, being called one of the best Internships in the state of Oklahoma, and have found it to be a good way to build our reputation as "the employer of choice" on campus and, in turn, build leadership bench strength. Word-of-mouth referrals were determined to be the most common way students heard about the Intern Program for 2007 and 2008.
With the tough job market today, experienced Engineers have been very difficult to source and recruit. As an alternate means of building the engineering staff, the Intern Program serves to fill the pipeline with qualified Engineers for the future. One Engineering Director made the observation that he would rather hire new graduates because of their fresh ideas, their ability to "think outside the box", their eagerness to jump in head first, and because they are not set in their ways without flexibility.
Program
NORDAM’s Intern Program is a 12 week program that runs from late May through early August. The Interns start the program with a half-day Orientation wherein they learn some of the company history, get an overview of the different divisions, an introduction to what they can expect throughout the summer, and other general information. Throughout the summer, some of the events they are exposed to are as follows:
- 3D (Dine-Discover-Discuss) Lunches at each of the four Tulsa divisions with a presentation by an executive from that division to give the group an overview of the business, products, customers, etc. and a tour of the facility. This allows the Interns exposure to each of the divisions, as well as an opportunity to ask questions of the representative from that division.
- LEARN Luncheon presented by CEO, Ken Lackey and Director of Organizational Development, Jon Bagrosky. The Interns get an overview of NORDAM, the Aerospace Industry, current business, trends for the future, and other general information. The group is encouraged to ask questions and interact with NORDAM’s executives.
- One week of technical training - Catia v5 and/or a LEAN/Six Sigma.
- Introductory Composites course
- INSIGHT Session is presented mid-summer and gives the group an opportunity to find out how important communication and interpersonal skills are in the business world.
- Presentation Skills training is provided in July to help the Interns prepare for their Report-Out at the end of the program. While the students have proven to be technically competent, feedback provided by past Interns indicated that they felt unprepared to give a formal presentation. The training has been very well received and at least one state school has asked NORDAM’s training department to discuss partnering with the Engineering school to teach Presentation Skills as part of the curriculum.
- Social event - This gives the Intern class a chance to interact away from work.
- Report-Out Session presented to all Mentors, Supervisors, Executives, other select NORDAM stakeholders, and special guests. In addition, the Interns are asked to submit the name of a professor they would like to attend this event so that they can see what their students have taken from the classroom and applied to a real-world engineering setting. Each Intern gives a 10-20 minute presentation on the project/projects that they have worked on over the summer, accomplishments, skills they will take away, and other pertinent information. Feedback from the professors has indicated that this could help them tailor their coursework to better prepare their students for work beyond college.
Results
NORDAM fills the majority of Engineer I positions through the Intern program. Over the past 3 years, 95% of NORDAM’s entry-level Engineers have been participants in the Intern program.
NORDAM’s Intern Program continues to be a source for outstanding young Engineers. The program is closely evaluated each year and additional training, events, and improvements will be made as necessary to ensure that it continues to be one of the best Intern experiences in the state.