Impact and Opportunity: Meeting the Needs of Young Professionals
About 3.8 million jobs. That is how many openings US manufacturers may need to fill within the next decade, according to a joint study from the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. Many of those openings will be at pulp, paper, and packaging facilities—but how can we be sure that we’re meeting the needs of the young people filling those posts?
Paper360° turned to members of TAPPI’s Young Professionals Division for answers to our questions about recruiting new workers. Our YP respondents are Summer Libecap, midwest area engineer, Packaging Corporation of America; Patrick Wegele, research and development engineer, Voith Paper; Lexi Stoneburner, business intelligence consultant, ResourceWise; Autumn Lakari, process engineer II, Clearwater Paper; and Lea Scrapchansky, global applications engineer, Andritz, Inc.
Lea Scrapchansky, Andritz, during a recent mill installation.
We’ve also tapped several other sources for a “360° look” at the industry-critical issue of attracting and retaining tomorrow’s workforce.
Paper360°: What about your current position do you find most rewarding?
LIBECAP: Being an area engineer, I find the abundance of opportunities I have been given to tackle the most rewarding. I love being able to travel across the Midwest area to our plants in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maine; collaborate with others in my network; and learn something new every day within the industry.
WEGELE: In my current position, the most rewarding aspect is knowing that my research directly impacts the development of our products, which play a crucial role in building a sustainable future. By providing our customers with the most efficient solutions, we help them save significant amounts of energy and resources while delivering high-quality products that align with our commitment to sustainability.
STONEBURNER: What I find most rewarding is that I get to have a hand in improving our industry. My clients are using FisherSolve data to make important decisions, so I have a responsibility to help them interpret it and draw the right conclusions. I enjoy getting a macro view of the industry through the lens of so many others.
What most influenced your final decision on which job offer to take?
LAKARI: I think the most effective recruiting strategy is being authentic and open. The primary thing I was searching for in a company was a place that I could see myself happy inside and outside of work. During the recruiting process, I found it was much easier to connect casually with certain companies versus others and that led me down the path to two main contenders. It also helped that I was able to tour most places that I was interested in. This allowed me to look past the initial face of recruitment and see deeper into the culture of each facility.
SCRAPCHANSKY: I had been heavily involved in the pulp and paper industry throughout my college career and I have worked in a couple of different mills in different locations. What drew me to the job I have now was the opportunity to experience another side to the pulp and paper industry. While I understood the efficiency and ready-to-go attitude needed in a mill setting, I wanted to open myself up to the beginning stages of the mill and understand the equipment that went into it. As a chemical engineer, it was quite a new experience to be involved in a more mechanically inclined aspect.
Of all the things a career might provide, which do you value most?
STONEBURNER: This is a great question, and I think the answer changes with your season of life. Right now, I highly value flexibility and stability as a mom with two young children. Ten years ago, I would have said opportunities for professional advancement and personal growth were at the top of the list. All of these are important, but the ranking of them is definitely dynamic!
LIBECAP: I enjoy the new challenges and opportunities that PCA gives me the most. Close behind are my amazing coworkers that I get to collaborate with, the personal growth opportunities through going back to school for my MBA, and the professional advancement opportunities that I have been offered within PCA.
Is there anything on the job that you feel your education did not prepare you for?
SCRAPCHANSKY: While I will not say that my schooling did not prepare me, it was quite the change going from solving a problem that I knew had an answer, to a real-world issue in which most may not understand its origin. While I was prepared for chemical engineering, I had to broaden my scope. It was more the “engineering” portion, where it simply mattered that I am able to think like an engineer. I have been involved in many electrical and mechanical projects, rather than simply chemical.
LAKARI: It would have been beneficial to have leadership or management courses mixed in with the curriculum. When I started my job, I was in a position that was immediately seen as part of the leadership team, yet I was fresh out of school. It was an interesting learning curve to find the right rhythm with my crews to make sure I was respectful of what I didn’t know.
What do you wish upper management better understood about YP career goals?
WEGELE: As a young professional, personal and professional development is the most important point in this stage of my career. I believe it is crucial for upper management to recognize the importance of continuous development for all employees, as it is directly linked to long-term business success. I am fortunate that my employer has supported my growth by providing me the opportunity to acquire a PhD besides my job.
SCRAPCHANSKY: I want to understand the technical knowledge they have amassed over the years. It can be difficult to communicate their extensive experience and knowledge to the younger generation. In my career, I aspire to be as technically savvy as they are, to be able to identify the source of a problem just by looking at a piece of equipment. My career goal is to not need to figure everything out as I go.
Have you considered switching industries? What is your advice for YPs considering the pulp and paper industries?
LIBECAP: Before graduating college, I was in HVAC/plumbing and aerospace manufacturing. While I enjoyed my time in those industries, I have felt the most fulfilled being in the corrugated industry. I have not considered switching since joining the corrugated industry.
WEGELE: Before joining my current company, I had no prior experience in the pulp and paper industry. However, I have come to appreciate the hands-on mentality and the pragmatic approach to problem-solving that defines this field. The technology behind pulp and paper production is fascinating and filled with complex challenges. Additionally, the daily interaction with products from this industry underscores the significance of my work. These factors have solidified my commitment to this industry, making me never consider a change.
STONEBURNER: My advice is to take any opportunity that you can! Internships/co-ops are great because they teach you what you like, but also what you don’t like. The paper industry is smaller than you think, so build those connections everywhere that you go.
Follow the Leader
Though young professionals want to forge their own career path, there is much to learn from the pathfinders who have come before. Valmet’s Kari Lindberg, senior vice president, Services North America, will retire in early 2025. Lindberg’s successful career has spanned more than 40 years’ service to the industry with Valmet, Metso, Tampella, and Ahlstrom. In this brief interview, the pulp and paper legend shares relevant insights with today’s YPs.
Q: What has your career path been like?
LINDBERG: I’ve been fortunate in my career to do a lot of different things, which has helped me lead the service business and build our team. It’s always about the team.
I started my career as an engineer at a mill in Finland. The company I started my career with also operated paper mills, which allowed me to spend valuable time in their manufacturing operations. I really enjoyed being an engineer, resolving challenges and learning what it was like on the customer side. I liked the problem-solving aspect—especially the magic of the a-ha moment when you figure it out.
Then, I was a product manager, and I enjoyed being on-site with customers for the same reason. It was satisfying to help them identify what was going on with their machines and get operations running again.
What are some key ways for those new to the industry to learn its nuances?
Early-career professionals can look to seasoned colleagues and follow their lead when troubleshooting and overcoming challenges. By working closely with these colleagues, they can also experience the breakthroughs—those great times when understanding dawns on them and sinks in. By collecting these moments through working alongside and being coached by experienced, skilled workers, younger workers can gain on-the-job knowledge and build their own experience.
How can young professionals grow their careers?
It’s important to consider taking big chances to experience big growth. Personal and professional growth opportunities may mean life-changing decisions. For example, an early-career professional may see an opportunity that requires relocating their family to a new area or even a new country. I had four children when I moved to the US with my family. We came for three years, which turned to four years, and here we are 32 years later with six grandchildren. This kind of move, while daunting, represents a significant sacrifice that some individuals are willing to make. Companies like Valmet recognize this dedication and support their employees through these transitions while acknowledging the immense value that such experiences bring to the individual and the company alike. This approach not only enriches the employee’s life, but also enhances the diversity and global perspective within a company and can help foster a culture of appreciation and community.
What educational opportunities would you recommend to someone seeking a leadership role within a service organization?
The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) was very motivating to me and would be a good opportunity for early-career individuals. I went there for the first time in the mid-1990s, and I’ve been back several times since then for different types of quality workshops.
What are a few attributes that you consider when hiring talent?
Of course, everything starts with the resume and CV, but the key thing is interaction with the individual. How approachable are they? How comfortable are they when representing the company? What is their past track record of leading teams and demonstrating results? It’s also important that they understand the customers and financials of the organization. Still, many times I just go with a gut feeling.
How can the industry attract new talent and empower existing professionals?
It’s important that continuous professional development is embedded within the industry’s culture. Offering ongoing training and upskilling opportunities can ensure that the current workforce remains at the forefront of technological advancements and best practices. This not only aids in retaining talent, but also makes the industry more attractive to potential employees by demonstrating a commitment to employee growth and development.
TAPPI Webinar: Managing Turnover
As our industry is facing increasing technical staff turnover, an effective training solution for your technical manpower is crucial. A new webinar sponsored by IBC Paper Training—Staff Turnover Management: Which Training Solutions to Apply?—can help.
This FREE webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, from 11 a.m. to noon, Eastern time. Participants will discuss solutions for transferring knowledge and know-how internally on the job, via organized, fun, and effective training learning paths. The speaker will be Isabelle Baret, CEO of IBC Paper Training. Learn more and register at tappi.org/education/webinars/, or reach out to [email protected].
EU Countries ‘Turn the Page’ on YP Perceptions
Every great story needs to be told. That is the goal of “Turn the Page” (TTP), a communication campaign managed by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) and IndustriAll European Trade Union, with country partners in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Poland. TTP develops an overall strategy for the pulp and paper sector to attract and retain young people and to enhance their perception of the sector. It addresses young people at all educational levels and enables first encounters/experiences with the industry. The European pulp and paper industry is a green, highly innovative and increasingly digital sector; but, as in the US, the sector’s many career opportunities are not commonly known.
Paper360°’s Mark Rushton asked Jori Ringman, Cepi’s director general, about other ways the EU is addressing YP recruitment and retention.
RINGMAN: TTP is simple, but it works—and thanks to its simplicity it is implementable by everyone, anywhere. At stakeholder level, the project facilitates the collection and exchange of best practice examples in both recruitment and employment of young workers. It has been tried in several countries and is a simple toolkit we have developed together with the Labor Unions.
I can give two examples of other programs from European countries: one that seems successful and another that is struggling a bit. The former is specific university training offered by Pisa University, in Italy, for those who are already trained in chemical engineering or similar areas; they use the closeness of the huge paper industry cluster in Lucca to make the training as close to practice as possible, including making use of factory facilities. (Both Pisa and Lucca are in the Tuscany region.) This seems to be successful.
The second program is a partnership between the Centre Technique du Papier, or CTP, in Grenoble, France, and Grenoble University. From what I understand, it offers students corporate sponsorship and a promise of a job; instead of taking student loans to study, students are paid and can orientate toward their future employer. They offer this at vocational, lower university, and master’s levels. The challenge is not finding companies willing to sponsor; the problem is finding students. The latter I can only explain by the misconceptions of industrial jobs in general and our industry in particular. That is why we need programs like TTP to make young people understand what work we can offer.
Personally, I see lot of evidence of younger generations wanting to work in industries that have a positive impact on nature, our planet, and society. With that, our sector should have a good standing compared to most other sectors.
Learn more about Turn the Page at turnthepageproject.eu.
Hear the ‘Manufacturing Millennial’ on the Better Together Podcast
“Dark, dirty, dull, dangerous, and dumb”—that’s a common misconception about careers in manufacturing, says “Manufacturing Millennial” Jake Hall on the latest episode of the Better Together podcast. Yet, according to Hall, “manufacturing is an industry that creates so much opportunity… I think it’s the foundation of our economy.”
The manufacturing sector’s secret weapon? Technology, Hall says. “Tech is not only going to enable your company to be more productive—it’s going to enable your company to be more attractive” to millennial workers.
Scan this QR code to hear the whole conversation, then subscribe to Better Together: Conversations with Innovative Leaders on your favorite podcast platform.
