Ashdown Mill Draft Attracts, Retains Local Talent

“The goal is to develop and sustain a continuous pool of well-trained young talent who have roots in the local area,” says Tracy Altenbaumer, Ashdown Mill’s general manager. “It’s a grow-your-own philosophy. We believe that will deliver a solid return on our investments in recruiting, hiring and retaining talent for the Ashdown Mill.”

How the Ashdown Mill draft works
The Ashdown Mill draft gives local high school seniors an opportunity to interview for summer internships that begin immediately after graduation. This gives them practical experience in engineering, environmental science and other STEM fields before they even set foot on a college campus.

“We already have a strong relationship with our local schools,” explains Tammy Waters, public affairs manager at the Ashdown Mill. “But now we work directly with school counselors and career coaches to identify bright, talented students who are interested in having a STEM career. Those students are offered an opportunity to participate in the Ashdown Mill draft, which is a day of extensive interviews designed to narrow the field to a few students who will be offered summer internships.”

For many students, the draft is their first time participating in a formal interview and recruiting process. That alone is a valuable experience that can pay dividends as they attend college and enter the job market.

But for those who are offered internships, working with Domtar offers practical experience in their chosen field. By the time they start college, they’ve already learned what it means to work in a manufacturing environment, from safety and quality control to environmental responsibility, production and other key performance areas.