Annual Seguin Career Day Results in the Hiring of Seguin High School Senior by Georgia Pacific

In Seguin, Texas, Manufacturing is the heart of the local economy. Big name corporations such as Caterpillar, Continental Automotive, Tyson Foods, Georgia Pacific, Niagara Bottling, Hexcel and CMC Steel all have major manufacturing operations within the City. There are over 4,000 manufacturing jobs within the Seguin area; this is more than three times the national average. In order to ensure the long-term viability of manufacturers within our community, the City of Seguin and its economic development stakeholders must collaborate with industry to ensure that we have a strong talent pipeline that can fill manufacturing jobs of today and the future.

For years, manufacturers have reported a sizeable gap between the talent they need to keep growing their businesses and the talent they can actually find. According to a 2011 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, over the next decade nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs need to be filled. The Skills gap is expected to result in 2 million of those jobs being unfilled. Over the past couple of years, the Seguin Economic Development Corporation has collaborated with existing industry, our local school districts and other economic development partners to try and close the skills gap and create a stronger talent pipeline.

The Annual Seguin Career Day has been one such event that was developed to increase industry awareness and highlight the career opportunities that are available to graduating high school seniors within the Seguin area. On May 17, 2018, the Seguin Economic Development Corporation and the Seguin Chamber of Commerce partnered to host the second annual Seguin Career Day at the Central Texas Technology Center. Nearly 20 businesses representing numerous industries participated in the event. These businesses showcased the technology used at their facilities, the hard and soft skills that are required for employment and the immediate job opportunities that are available to the students.

Seguin Career Day participant, Georgia Pacific Gypsum, spoke with several students throughout the course of the day, however there was one student that stood out amongst the crowd. Seguin High School Senior, Luis Rodriguez made a great first impression at the Seguin Career Day with Georgia Pacific. Like the other high school seniors in attendance on that day, Luis was about to graduate and was eagerly exploring the numerous employment opportunities that were available to him in his own backyard.

“Luis exhibited a desire and drive that matched perfectly with the culture of Georgia-Pacific. Luis started at Georgia-Pacific McQueeney just two weeks after his high school graduation. From day one Luis’s strong work ethic and attention to training has led to the development of new skills that can be applied in a flourishing industry with endless opportunities for advancement.” said Jawad Sheikh, Human Resources Manager at Georgia Pacific Gypsum.

“The Seguin Economic Development Corporation holds events like the annual Seguin Career Day to help build our talent pipeline and increase awareness of the businesses that make a difference everyday within our community. Luis’s story and the start of his career at Georgia Pacific really makes us feel proud about what we are doing and all the hard work that goes into these events. This is a win for everyone; Georgia Pacific filled an open position at their Seguin facility, and Luis found a high-wage job immediately after graduating High School that will give him the skills and traits needed to succeed in the

future. This is what it’s all about.” Said Josh Schneuker, Executive Director of the Seguin Economic Development Corporation.

“Luis impresses us more every day! Luis comes to work early, embraces all assigned tasks, asks questions to improve his performance, and always stays overtime when needed. Luis has done so well during his first two months that we are already considering assigning him to his own shift. This is significant progress when one thinks of the responsibility this young man is about to take on. With the push of a button, Luis will start an entire wallboard production line, and potentially a very long and successful career,” said Sheikh.

The Seguin Economic Development Corporation and other community stakeholders will continue to collaborate with industry to host events such as the Seguin Career Day. Closing the skills gap completely is a daunting task, but when all parties come together to address this issue, significant progress can be made to close the gap as much as possible and create a strong talent pipeline that will enable existing businesses to thrive. We hope to share more success stories like Luis Rodriguez and Georgia Pacific.