FEF recently held its annual College Industry Conference in Chicago. The 2019 conference brought 119 current students together for a wonderful opportunity to network with each other and with metalcasting company representatives—their future employers. The students in attendance were looking for internships, co-ops or full-time jobs in the metalcasting industry.

Several CIC events were scheduled during the two-day conference that provide students and employers a time to interact and even interview. And for the students, 29 scholarships (valued at $67,000) were presented during the awards luncheon.

But the CIC is more than just a job fair for current students, it’s an event that brings back many former FEF students—individuals who have attended programs at FEF schools and have gone on to work in the metalcasting industry.

Ninety-five of the 186 industry registrants were FEF alumni representing 21 current FEF schools. Additionally, 16 of the current 33 FEF professors are FEF alumni. Returning to the CIC provides alumni an opportunity to reconnect with former classmates, professors, and students they may have met when they attended the CIC. FEF alumni from as far back as the early ‘70s attended, as did individuals who graduated just this past spring.

FEF alumni, ambassadors, and friends understand the need to be involved in the recruitment of the future generation of metalcasters. The CIC is the perfect platform for influencing students toward this industry—sharing experiences from graduation to current position and encouraging a serious look at metalcasting for the future.

In addition to the presentation of the student scholarships, FEF also presented its highest award, the E.J. Walsh Award. This year’s recipient was Kathy Hayrynen, an FEF alum from Michigan Tech and Past FEF Board President. Chip Keough (FEF alum from the University of Michigan) surprised Hayrynen with the award. The FEF/AFS Distinguished Professor Award was presented to Dr. Laura Bartlett, who is a graduate of Missouri University of Science & Technology and now serves as the FEF Key Professor at her alma mater.

If your company is looking for professional talent who are skilled, experienced and ready to contribute to your business’ success from day one, contact the FEF office or one of our network schools. And plan to attend the 2020 College Industry Conference on November 19-20.

Click here to see this story as it appears in the January 2020 issue of Modern Casting.