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Oldcastle Architectural Products Group is increasing its share of the growing market for architectural products and is always looking for talented employees.
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Overview | Career Opportunities | Our Culture | Building Leaders | Benefits | Career News
Career News
Oldcastle and Penn State
Oldcastle gives Penn State students a taste of the real world.
Oldcastle continues to use unique methods to bring fresh talent to the company. Currently in
its third year, Oldcastle has sealed a rewarding partnership with the Industrial Engineering (IE) Department at Pennsylvania State University. The partnership is a five year commitment worth
$25,000. Since 2005, junior-level students enrolled in specific IE courses, form small teams and
compete for the Oldcastle Cup, which includes a personalized plaque and money for textbooks.
"It is a book scholarship program for the students, built into the curriculum of the IE major," says
Kathleen Edge, Director of Human Resources for Oldcastle, Inc. "This is our third year and it's
going well," explains Kathleen.
In vying for the Oldcastle Cup each spring semester, students must choose a specific product
and analyze it from design concept to its actual production. Students get feedback from
manufacturers on how the product was made and how the cost was determined. While students
enjoy critiquing the products and look forward to winning the Oldcastle Cup, they must also work
hard to earn a passing grade for competition.
Entrepreneurial Major
Another undertaking will be Oldcastle's sponsorship of Penn State's entrepreneurial major or "e-ship" major, a popular program among IE students. This endeavor will begin in fall 2007 and will last for four semesters. E-ship classes will occasionally feature Oldcastle guest speakers who will talk about working in the manufacturing industry and will give some insight into Oldcastle. The program will continue through 2009, but on a less frequent basis. Sponsoring the e-ship program is expected to be a success for Oldcastle in the long run. "These are exactly the type of individuals we want for Oldcastle," says Kathleen. "We need people with an entrepreneurial mindset because they have the full authority to do what needs to be done. A lot of people are used to policies, procedures and structure. Oldcastle doesn't have that. As part of our brand and culture, we don't want that."
Broadening The Program
With three successful years in partnership with Penn State, Oldcastle is now looking to invest in other universities across the country. These educational ventures have become a useful recruiting tool for Oldcastle. "We need to invest in the students now so we begin developing the type of leaders we need for the future" says Kathleen. "It's a recruitment tool, but it's also an investment. It helps us spread the message of what type of company we are. So when a student [from one of these schools] selects our company, it's a good fit." Such partnerships take years to fully develop, but the investment is worth the wait. Taking time to build relationships with school faculty and making sure students are a good match for Oldcastle takes much research and patience.
Reaching out to Penn State also has led to another pay off. Oldcastle Architectural (APG) has already hired two interns from the IE program. One intern, Chris, has worked with APG's New York-based Domine Builder's Supply while another intern, Michael, joined APG's Pennsylvania-based Trenwyth Industries. These internships will provide hands on experience that will complement concepts learned in Penn State's IE program, but will also prepare the students for possible careers and futures with Oldcastle.
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