Page 77 - MetalForming Magazine June/July 2022 80th Anniversary Issue

When we look at diversity, we believe that we need diverse mindsets within the company to help us become more efficient and profitable.”
Student athletes represent yet another talent pipeline for Nucor, “because athletics at universities are by their nature diverse,” Brooks adds. “Now, as we’ve already made great strides in diversifying our talent pool, we can go back and ask our diverse employees to help recruit, since diverse students can see themselves in the reflection of our company.
“These efforts have made their way to the very top of Nucor,” Brooks con- tinues. “Our new CEO, Leon Topalian, appointed in 2020, has been up front with diversity challenges facing U.S. manufacturing companies. He fosters communication throughout the com- pany on race issues, and works to ensure that we support our diverse employees—not only at work but also within the communities in which they live.”
The Nucor Academy
In addition to metallurgy and mate- rial science, plant maintenance also takes on a critical role for Nucor, fos- tering a continuous need for degreed electrical engineers—“an area where we’ve seen growing demand and wan- ing supply,” Brooks shares. “Here’s where the Nucor Academy plays a vital role.”
Born at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL, the acad- emy is run from the Nucor Tuscaloosa steel mill (which manufactures carbon and pressure-vessel steel coil, discrete plate, and cut-to-length plate). “We have teammates there working as electricians or that have training in electrical engineering,” Brooks says, “so they understand well the electrical needs at our plants, particularly those related to plant maintenance. They worked with the professors at Shelton State to design a curriculum to best fit our needs, and those of most man- ufacturing companies. We helped
them develop the curriculum, and regularly review their KPIs every trimester.
“We support incoming students financially,” Brooks continues, “paying not only for their education at Shelton State but also their housing in Tuscaloosa. And, when the students are not in school, they work at the Nucor plant. They get their own space where they can complete their school- work if they want to, as well as perform hands-on work for the plant. They work alongside the team at the mill to apply their newly gained knowledge. Then, during the summer months they can go work at any other Nucor facility or rotate during the 3-yr. program to dif- ferent divisions to experience a more diverse environment.
“We graduate 12 to 15 students annually from the program, a win-win,” Brooks adds. “School and housing is paid for, and they have excellent job opportunities when they graduate with a clearly defined career path.” MF
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