Companies look to keep grads close to home

Triangle graduates looking to trade a college campus for a corporate one might not have to look very far.

Research Triangle Park - located within 15 miles of Chapel Hill - hosts more than 115 research and development companies.

Many of the businesses hire recent college graduates from the area's universities, including UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke University. Overall, the park employs more than 38,000 people.

"It's just a tremendous talent pool that we will continue to rely heavily on," said Brenda Levine, human resources director at EMC Corp.

EMC Corp. is an automated network storage company interested in graduates with computer science, engineering and information technology expertise, she said.

Many companies are looking for employees with these skills because their RTP leases stipulate an orientation toward research and development work.

"We typically hire more out of N.C. State because of their engineering program," Levine said.

But UNC-CH has a strong computer science program and is a viable source for new hires, she said.

Network Appliance also is interested in students with a strong computer science background, said Laura Ellgen, human resources manager for the company.

With three newly acquired buildings in RTP, Network Appliance is planning to increase its share of recent graduates to as much as 10 percent of its new hire program, she said.

She said RTP companies provide the opportunity for fresh college graduates to advance professionally.

"We firmly believe in promoting from within, and also develop our employees so that they have the skills needed to move within positions," Ellgen said.

Nortel Networks, the third largest employer in RTP, employs about 150 UNC-CH graduates, and many have moved up in the company to senior positions, said Jay Barta, manager of corporate communications.

Company officials said inside knowledge is not required to learn about new job openings.

RTP companies actively are recruiting students for jobs and internships, and area universities work to alert students about these opportunities.

"We use about every method we can think of," said Marcia Harris, director of UNC-CH career services, citing job fairs, campuswide e-mails, a weekly advertisement in The Daily Tar Heel and fliers as means of spreading information about RTP jobs.

EMC Corp., Nortel Networks and Network Appliance officials said representatives from their companies visit local universities regularly.

Barta said that in addition to appearing at job fairs, Nortel has used a college ambassador program through which former student interns get the word out on campus about work opportunities.

Nortel constantly is searching for new young talent, he said, emphasizing the importance of research and innovation.

But not all companies at RTP feasibly can hire large numbers of recent graduates.

"We primarily hire folks in the agricultural field, and most of them are already experienced," said Summer Busto, manager for talent acquisition and domestic relocation for Bayer CropScience.

Still, RTP and university officials alike said the partnership is positive for both the companies and the colleges.

"Certainly for the graduates it's wonderful to have so many employers in this area in a variety of career fields," Harris said.

 

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.