Development Programs at Rhodia

For young people passionate about chemistry and engineering, Rhodia, a global specialty chemical company, has a formula for success. Rhodia recruits ambitious grads from universities such as Georgia Tech, Penn State, Iowa State, Drexel University, and Louisana State for Foundations for the Future, a unique, intense and rewarding career development program.

High potential, entry-level engineers gain valuable experience as they put their education, innovation – and sometimes, just plain intuition – to the test. Program participants work three 18-month rotations that expose them to two or three of Rhodia’s 18 North American production sites and 11 business units.

These participants also will attend training sessions and formal networking opportunities so they can meet peers, plant managers, business leaders and senior executives. The young alumni will emerge as outstanding future candidates for senior-level positions.

The Foundations for the Future program is intended to help engineers achieve their full potential through the experience gained in this intense development program. The program is highly respected and supported within Rhodia as it continues to provide both the manufacturing organization and the businesses with employees well prepared to perform key responsibilities.

It starts with a recruiting strategy and successful selection process. We are looking for top chemical and mechanical engineering students with good extracurricular activities, solid industry experience, and demonstrated high potential. We need flexible, mobile, and innovative team players that are eager to take on new challenges and contribute to our success.

The program itself consists of three main components:

• Rotational assignments

• Broad and diverse development and training opportunities

• High level exposure & interaction with management

Program participants acquire knowledge and establish personal networks that will greatly enhance both their performance and career. Rhodia strongly believes in this program, and has dedicated an abundance of financial and human resources to it.

We, at Rhodia, are convinced that Foundations for the Future is a key ingredient to achieving manufacturing excellence.

If you have any questions regarding the Foundations for the Future program. Please contact majorie.consiglio@us.rhodia.com.

Science Ambassadors an educational program that pairs teachers with volunteers from the Center for Research and Techhnology in Bristol for the school year.  Rhodia developed Science Ambassadors in partnership with third-grade classes from the nearby Fountain Woods School in Bristol, Pennsylvania. 

The mission of the program is to foster a greater interest, appreciation and understanding of science by allowing students and their teachers to have ongoing interaction directly with scientists and engineers who work in or near their local community.

The teachers email the scientists questions from their students on a regular basis and the scientists’ answers are shared with the class. To really engage the students, the scientists also visit their classes a few times each year to answer questions in person and demonstrate scientific principles that accompany the current curriculum.

In addition to providing a valuable educational experience, Rhodia chemists and Fountain Woods teachers hope Science Ambassadors will encourage students to take an interest in science and, maybe one day, a career in the field.