FKI Logistex (St. Louis) has announced the establishment of its Graduate Engineer Training Program, part of the company’s continued investment in North American material handling engineering and research and development. The one-year program, based on a successful training strategy used by parent company FKI plc in the UK, introduces mechanical and electrical engineering graduates to various engineering disciplines in material handling, and to FKI Logistex's products, processes and technologies.
Participants in the Graduate Engineer Training Program have the opportunity to work on projects for retailers, overnight parcel delivery companies, airports and manufacturers in North America. Learning from the experienced team of FKI Logistex project managers and engineers, these graduates gain a wealth of knowledge and experience in different areas of material handling before choosing a career path within FKI Logistex North America.
Candidates enter the Graduate Engineer Training Program through one of the three divisions of FKI Logistex North America: Warehouse & Distribution in Cincinnati, Ohio; Manufacturing Systems in St. Louis, Missouri; or Airport, Post & Parcel in Louisville, Kentucky. Each graduate engineer spends six months working on a variety of projects within this division, and then an additional three months at each of the other two divisions. After completion of the program, each participant is assigned a position within FKI Logistex North America based on career interest, performance and company requirements.
To recruit the best candidates for the Graduate Engineer Training Program, FKI Logistex is developing strong partnerships with the top engineering programs at universities across the country. FKI Logistex attends job fairs to provide new graduates with information about opportunities in the material handling industry, and brings undergraduate engineering students into the pipeline early with co-op and internship programs.
"Our goal is to continually attract top candidates to develop our internal engineering talent pool," says Tim Fedrigon, vice president, human resources, FKI Logistex North America. "These new recruits bring in fresh ideas while learning from the breadth of experience of our more experienced engineers. This expert synergy creates an engineering incubator within FKI Logistex that is the key to growing our business."
"The FKI Logistex Graduate Engineer Training Program provides our company with a constant and rich pipeline of engineering resources with an excellent balance of skills, competencies and experience," says Steve Ackerman, president, FKI Logistex North America. "By recruiting and training top engineering talent, FKI Logistex continues to develop the innovative products and solutions that make us the world leader in the material handling marketplace."
