In one of my first conversations upon joining AFS, Board member Jim Frost (ACIPCO) explained the integral role of AFS, and the Foundry Educational Foundation, during his career, right back to his student days. Since then, fellow AFS Board member John Grahek (Clow Valve/McWane) and numerous other AFS members have shared a similar personal story.
At the recent Wisconsin Regional, I delivered a variation of that message in remarks to an audience that included mostly students and young professionals who are enthusiastically considering, planning or starting careers in metalcasting. At AFS, we call the message “A Career Enriched by AFS Involvement.”
In some cases, the earliest exposure to AFS messages, and to our industry, may come during an individual’s pre-college years, when the student sees a Foundry-in-a-Box-type demonstration by an AFS chapter, or learns about metalcasting through Melting Point, an AFS publication/web site for students.
As the student proceeds to college, the connection to AFS and FEF will likely become stronger, with AFS student chapters, scholarships from AFS chapters and FEF, casting competition, and attendance at Metalcasting Congress as key touchpoints.
When an AFS student member graduates, it is important to transition smoothly into a career. AFS can play a major role. Graduates are eligible for a free first-year individual membership in AFS. Under the guidance of Technical Council Chair Kathy Hayrynen (Applied Process) and the Council, AFS is taking more assertive steps to ensure graduates understand the value of this benefit, and get plugged into AFS early in their career.
One of the earliest connection-points after graduation might be chapter involvement at the local level, or participating in a committee of interest. Or it might be involvement in Future Leaders in Metalcasting or Women in Metalcasting. Continuing education is important at this stage, and AFS Institute courses and e-learning can help new employees become more successful more rapidly.
The decades inevitably pass faster than any of us can anticipate, and along the way, there may be leadership opportunities, awards, service-life membership status, and other forms of involvement and recognition – each rewarding in its own way.
How can you assist in this endeavor? Help us deliver the message of “A Career Enriched by AFS Involvement” in your interactions with students and employees at all stages of their careers. The chart on page X of this edition of Member Connections provides a helpful summary of some of the key elements of career enrichment that come from AFS involvement.