Dow Corning Program Offers Students a Fast Start

Dow Corning Corporation representatives met with Industrial Chemistry students of Bill Killian, associate professor of Physical Sciences, on October 17 to discuss Dow Corning's Fast Start program, which prepares students for chemical processing careers. One of the representatives, Greg Gardenhire, is a graduate of the Industrial Chemistry Technology program and the first Ferris student to complete the Fast Start program.

Dow Corning developed the program to address the high demand for Chemistry associate-degree graduates entering positions of chemical technician and process operations. Chemical manufacturing plants, pulp and paper plants, and pharmaceutical companies. Ferris has been in partnership with Dow Corning to better prepare students for careers in chemical processing for the past three years.

The Fast Start program includes an intensive, two-week summer workshop in chemical process technologies at Michigan Technological University. Students selected for the workshop are awarded full scholarships for participation, and those who successfully complete the workshop are eligible for a two-year scholarship at Ferris.

Students in the program may apply to work at a Dow Corning facility for a 10- to 12-week probationary period during the summer to determine if the employment match is satisfactory for both the students and the company.