GREENVILLE, S.C. — When it comes to attracting young talent, Michelin North America Inc. is among the best, according to Forbes magazine, which recently named the Greenville-based tire maker one of the "Best Employers for New Grads."
This marks the first year for the ranking, which was compiled in conjunction with Statista. It considered anonymous survey responses from 10,000 Americans with less than 10 years of professional experience working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees.
Those participating in the survey were asked to rate their employer on a several criteria including working conditions, salary and the likelihood or recommending the employer to a friend.
Michelin was ranked 7th on the list of 250.
"At Michelin, people come for a job but stay for a career," Dave Stafford, chief human resources officer for Michelin North America said in a statement. "In a historically competitive job market, we are honored to be named as the top automotive employer and in the top 10 among all companies that made the list."
The tire maker cited several training and recruitment programs as reasons for its success in helping to attract and maintain young talent.
Three years ago, Michelin created internship and co-op programs, each designed to attract college students and encourage them to pursue careers with the tire maker. In addition to providing full-time schedule, students participating the programs are assigned to specific projects, through which they receive hands-on experience.
Since they have been implemented, both programs have served an employment pipeline, Michelin said.
Formal and informal training programs also offer young employees and interns the opportunity to grow in their careers, by connecting them to senior employees and managers, who can provide leadership and coaching. Michelin's Bib Buddy program, for example, pairs interns with employees in different departments "to provide a friendly face throughout the internship."
Other programs are targeted at high school students, encouraging those with a penchant for engineering, mechatronics and electronics to pursue tire-industry related careers. The Youth Apprenticeship program, for instance, offers 2,000 hours of on-the-job training with a Michelin mentor on top pf 240 hours of related instruction at a career center.
To help ensure that the next generation of skilled workers are ready for careers in the industry, Michelin's Technical Scholars program provides high school graduates enrolled a community college technical program with a part-time job at a local Michelin tire plant, giving them hands-on experience. Michelin also covers the cost of tuition, books and other fees, which allows the students to graduate without student debt.
Upon gradation, those participating the Michelin Technical Scholars program can step into careers with entry-level salaries of $54,000.
The complete ranking is available at Forbes.com.