Posted September 15, 2015
By Devin Steele (DSteele@eTextileCommunications.com)
RALEIGH, N.C. – For the U.S. textile manufacturing sector, one key takeaway of the Textile Job Forum & Career Fair at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles (COT) here last week is this number: 12.
As in 12 percent.
That’s the percentage of entry-level positions accepted by COT graduates last year in textile management – the first time in about a quarter center that double digits have been reached in that area, according to Kent Hester, director of Student and Career Services at the College, who reported that number during the morning forum.
College of Textiles event
NCSU’s Career Fair largest in 30 years
Textile manufacturing placement numbers mirror industry’s production surge
In other words, the number of companies seeking – and hiring – employees in production management is on the rise, which mirrors the uptick in U.S. textile manufacturing in recent years.
Deloris Sides, director of corporate communications and human resources at International Textile Group (ITG), Greensboro, N.C., said that number is encouraging.
“When I was here three years ago, that number was 2 percent of graduates who had gone into manufacturing,” she said. “So that’s good news for a company like ours that is manufacturing driven and needs to have good talent coming into that area.”
This year’s fair also is the COT’s largest in about 30 years, with 64 companies on hand to meet seniors and recent graduates – another encouraging sign. Hester actually had to turn away another five companies due to limited space and fire code regulations, he said. Last year, only the Duke Kimbrell Atrium at the college was used for the event, but this year, the atrium plus another room were needed to accommodate company tables.
“Last year was the second largest in three decades and this is the largest during that span,” Hester said. “So we hope it’s not a blip but a real trend. If so, next year we may have to move to a bigger venue.”
Malcolm Mize, wet processing manager who oversees dyeing and finishing at thread maker American & Efird, Mount Holly, N.C., said his company is one of those eyeing manufacturing management candidates.
“Over the years, as the economy downturned, we didn’t really backfill as much,” he said. “We’re at a point now where we really need to start filling in those positions. And this is a great place for us to start looking for those candidates who have the expertise we’re looking for and get them in for management opportunities. We have a big need now for that in our industry.”
Certainly, given the ever-present talent gap and the fact textile production is on the rise in the U.S., more companies are signing up to participate in events that connect them with strong candidates. This year, 23 companies were first-timers at the fair or are returning after at least a 10-year hiatus, and all 64 attending firms have some connection with the textile/apparel complex. And these companies hailed from all corners of the country.
Among those first-timers was Hunter Douglas, a global window coverings producer that brought representatives from their Colorado operations. The company is looking for a range of candidates, from product managers to product development specialists to engineers, said Adriana Quintana, HR specialist and recruiter for the company.
“We produce and dye fabrics, so a lot of the things students learn here are right up our alley,” she said. “This event has been amazing. The biggest thing I’ve learned is all the different applications that textiles go into and the quality of students here. We have a couple of N.C. State alums at our company already and they’re great employees. So we wanted to come capitalize on the talent that was here.”
Unifi, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., is a growing company that produces multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. Linda Hakala, the company’s HR, recruiting and compensation manager, said she saw more students and graduates interested in manufacturing this year han during her previous four trips to the fair.
“And with our internship program, we’ve even had some people excited about going into manufacturing who had not explored that previously,” she said. “The environment is not what they pictured it as being. They pictured it as dirty and old. But we’re very technology based, we have a lot of robotics and it’s a clean environment. And as company, we’re very much into sustainability. We’re 100 percent landfill free and a lot of people like that aspect of our company, as well.”
COT’s talent pool no secret
Several other companies said they are well aware of the talent level of N.C. State’s College of Textile graduates and all the disciplines they learn on their way to a degree. Ryan Mullins of Standard Textiles, Cincinnati, for instance, made a return appearance at the fair after hiring current COT student Ted Meyers for a summer internship. Meyers was on hand in the Standard booth.
“The students here are outstanding – unbelievable,” said Mullins, whose company manufactures healthcare apparel, hospitality textiles and work wear apparel and operates four manufacturing plants in the Southeast. “Pretty much anybody coming out of the College of Textiles is qualified to come and work for us. We’re textile manufacturing, very vertically integrated.”
PA Group USA, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based supplier of ERP software with direct expertise in the textile, apparel and fashion sectors, doesn’t manufacture textiles. But students graduating from the College of Textiles are “perfect” candidates for positions in the company, said Jonathan Eakes, the company’s marketing content coordinator. PA Group already has several COT grads on its staff.
“Here, students develop skills in textile business, textile engineering, chemistry, fashion, design, merchandising, you name it – skills you can’t find in combination at any other school,” said Eakes, who graduated from the COT in 2012 with a textile technology degree. “No matter their major, they can come into our business, learn what we do, learn about the software and apply the skills they’ve learned at the College of Textiles. That can be a huge asset. And PA Group gives them a lot of flexibility to do what they want to do, whether it’s production, logistics, financial consulting or math.
“We’ve talked with these textile students and they’re a shoo-in for what we do,” he added. “It’s good that we’re meeting qualified people to come in and help us support the industry and help us find a way to better serve our clients.”
Participating in the fair gives companies such as PA Group that are outside the textile manufacturing realm an opportunity to raise their awareness among potential hires, Eakes said.
“I had never heard of PA Group, but that’s the good thing about this fair,” said senior Cameron Tuck, who is set to graduate with a degree in fashion and textile management this May. “It’s nice to know there are opportunities available for students like this out there.”
Baekart Textile USA, a Winston-Salem, N.C. producer of mattress ticking, made its second appearance at the fair after a successful event last year, said Jennifer Allan, the company’s H.R. manager.
“I’m excited to be here,” she said. “Last year we met many, many talented people and I just hired one of those graduates two weeks ago for our design department.”
Global Textile Alliance, Inc., a Reidsville, N.C.-based manufacturer of bedding, upholstery and other specialty fabrics, participated in the fair particularly to seek designers, said Sharyn Andrews, who works at the company in sales.
“It’s a fashion business and we’re always looking for new, creative young people who can bring in new ideas for textile design,” she said. “We haven’t been to this fair before and we’re very excited about being here. We didn’t know what to expect but we’ve been very pleased with the candidates we’re seeing. We’re seeing people we could interview and hire right away and we’re seeing people we could hire down the road.”
Tommy Pruitt, chief talent officer at Springs Creative, Rock Hill, S.C., said he also was looking for textile designers primarily.
“We try to really match up what we do with the candidates or students coming out of here,” he said. “We’ve seen all of that and then some, so it’s been a great experience for us.”
Angela White, brand marketing manager at knitting machine maker Vanguard Pai Lung, Monroe, N.C., said she was looking for candidates with skills in product development and supply chain management, particularly as it ramps up its Wildfire Design and Innovation Center. This is the company’s second appearance at the fair, which last year resulted in the hiring of one person in planning.
ITG’s Sides called the talent at N.C. State “wonderful.”
“We have an active internship program and we’ve seen great students from State come through it,” she said. “They have some great skills and knowledge and contribute during the three months they’re with us. Usually about 50 percent of our interns are hired in some type of role with us.”
Two of those former interns, Trevor Summers and Lauren Cox, are now full-time ITG employees on the manufacturing side. Both were on hand to tell students about their experiences with the company. And unlike many of his COT classmates, Summers said he was eager to join a company in the manufacturing area.
“What interested me about manufacturing is I’m hands on,” said Summers, who works as a supervisor at the company’s worsted wool fabric plant in Raeford, N.C. “I get to be out in the plant with the product. I get to see the product made. I get to talk with the people who make the product. And that’s really neat. I enjoy it a lot.”
The new, young faces of textiles
Like ITG, several other companies had young N.C. State COT graduates representing them at the fair – probably a smart move to help attract attention with people of that age group and to demonstrate the job potential for these students and graduates.
Two of those grads, April Wagoner (Class of 2007) and Spencer Barbour (2014), worked the General Motors booth. Wagoner, Barbour and his boss, Doug Pickett – also a COT graduate – requested that the company have a presence at the career fair.
“We’re well aware of the quality of students here,” said Barbour, who works in the interior materials engineering area. “We’re looking for candidates with strong textile knowledge.”
Wagoner, who works with GM’s colors and trend design group, was able to glean knowledge from her area of expertise to inform students in those textile disciplines.
Another COT alum, Kimberly Zapko, was on hand in the Hanesbrands, Inc. booth. She graduated in 2013 and started with the company a short time later as a technical designer. At the fair, the company wasn’t actively seeking students for immediate employment, but to make them aware of Hanesbrands and add them to their career database, she said.
“We want to get students involved on our website,” she said. “They can create a profile, upload their resume and keep looking for openings with the company when they’re in the job market.”
Students’ perspectives
The three-hour event bustled with activity as students and graduates from all areas of the College of Textiles tried to visit as many tables as possible. One of those graduates, Jordan Sorensen, earned his degree in May and had four job offers. But his father suffered an injury around that time, which led Sorensen to postpone his career for a few months as his dad recovered.
“I’m now ready to jump back in,” he said. “I’m a textile engineer, so any type of job in that area, whether it’s process improvement, manufacturing or product development, is fine with me.”
An international student from Iran, Mohammadreza Naeimirad is a research scholar majoring in textile engineering. He said he wants to stay in the U.S. after graduation and work in the polymer, spinning or composite areas, he said.
Walmart also was present at the career fair and was looking mostly at candidates for its internship program. That was of particular interest to Jalen Feaster, a prestigious Park Scholar majoring in industrial and system engineering, and Katavia Teachey, who transferred into the textile technology program after starting on an industrial engineering track. Both said they are interested in internships in product development.
Jared Bundick is set to graduate in textile technology in December. “Career wise, I’m looking at product development. I want to get in there and use my creative juices. All the companies I’m interested in are pretty much in this room.”
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