EMPOWERING PEOPLE

The Steel Tech Academy at Arkansas Northeastern College

In 2022, BR1 began recruiting local high school seniors for entry level positions as an initiative to support recruitment in the community. BR1 provided these students with the opportunity to enroll in the “Steel Tech Academy” at Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC), a two-year paid internship program with the first year taking place during the students’ senior year of high school. These internship opportunities are project-based and involve bringing the company to the classroom or lab, rather than students visiting production facilities. Students are immersed in steelmaking operations under supervision of BR1 employees.

 
The steel tech academy

Two local students who completed the courses were hired at BR1 in 2022. In 2023, the Steel Tech Academy opportunity was expanded to include local high school juniors. One of the students who was hired in 2022 was Devin Brown.



“My experience here at BR1 has been nothing short of amazing. I think the high school program is a really good thing for young people to look into for the start of great career! The program gives you a brief idea of some of the things you’ll need to know and carry over working here at BR1. Being able to start out here coming straight out of high school helped me mature in a way. Working here comes with a lot of responsibility, but you can look forward to having really helpful colleagues. For me, only working here for a little over a year, I’ve had an abundant amount of opportunity to grow in the company. I look forward to seeing new faces with the same opportunity I’ve had. I wish you the best of luck, and always remember SAFETY first!!!”