Johnson Matthey gets the gold for commitment to chemical engineering
21st October 2016
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has presented Gold Corporate Partner status to speciality chemicals and technology company, Johnson Matthey. The presentation took place in Billingham, UK in late September.
Johnson Matthey employs over 560 chemical engineers worldwide, 300 of which work in the UK, and has contributed considerably to chemical engineering employment opportunities in the North East, North West and South of the UK.
The company was awarded IChemE Bronze Corporate Partner in 2014, after showing a clear commitment to the next generation of engineers with its accredited graduate training programme. The leap to Gold Corporate Partner has been a result of further activity with young people and additional work championing chemical engineering professionalism.
Johnson Matthey’s engineers are all encouraged to be advocates for the profession, and do so through various volunteering activities with local schools and careers fairs. Its Process Engineering Development Programme works with young people studying for their A-Levels who are looking to pursue an engineering career. The company also works with university students in partnership with the British Chemical Engineering Contractors Association (BCECA). It continues to develop engineers during their employment with Johnson Matthey, providing mentors to help them achieve Chartered Chemical Engineer status.
The upgrade to Gold Partnership will see Johnson Matthey join BP (energy), Ingen (consultancy), KBR (hydrocarbon) and Shell (energy) in the top category of IChemE corporate partnership.
Presenting the award, IChemE’s Interim CEO Justin Blades said: “IChemE have worked closely with Johnson Matthey for many years, and I’m delighted to welcome the company to our growing list of Gold Corporate Partners. Chemical engineering matters at Johnson Matthey and the business has a long tradition of developing not only technology but also its talent. It is encouraging seeing a business so passionate about the future of our profession, and recognising that strong partnerships with the Institution will ensure that the future is bright.”
Bill Cotton, Principal Process Engineer at Johnson Matthey who also leads the company’s engineering undergraduate training programme, said: “We are really pleased to be awarded IChemE’s Gold Partner status. It’s a great reflection of all the hard work the team has done to in engage young people, and develop our engineers. Chemical engineering is central to Johnson Matthey’s success, and we feel we have a duty to invest in its future.”
Looking toward the future, Johnson Matthey has pledged to work with IChemE on a video campaign to encourage more young engineers to become professionally Chartered. It is also a finalist for Chemical Engineering Industry Project of the Year at the IChemE Global Awards 2016, which take place on 3 November.