CMA Internship Program: Shaping the Next Generation

This past summer, students from various universities completed the newly revived CMA internship program. According to Jeff Clement, VP of Human Resources, the program was created from “CMA’s need to invest in developing future engineers and build a pipeline for future Toray employees.”

This company-wide, three-month paid program offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working for a world-class organization alongside experts in the field of advanced composite materials. This year’s interns were tasked with a specific engineering project within their assigned discipline. According to Jeff Sitthi, technical engineer and a former Toray intern, the group was provided with a list of projects from both the technical product development and technical services teams. Emphasis was placed on ensuring projects were less administrative so participants could get the most exposure to working with Toray materials in manufacturing and lab environments.

Recruitment for next year’s internship program will begin in early Spring. Interns can look forward to gaining valuable insight working with individuals who are developing and innovating in the fields of carbon fiber and advanced composite materials. They will also work in an environment with like-minded professionals who truly care about each other and have a vested interest in the intern’s professional development.

We’re looking forward to next year’s crop of future engineers!

Summer 2024 Cohort Q&A:

Kate Beardsley
Department: Production Control
Title/Role: Industrial Engineering Intern
School: University of Washington, Industrial and Systems Engineering

What motivated you to apply as an intern at CMA?
I was interested in working in the manufacturing sector and in an aerospace-related industry, so this internship was a great opportunity to gain experience in both.

What does a typical day look like?
I usually start the day with updating a shift report and an analysis file I created that pulls from the report data. After that, I’ll start working on one of the projects I’ve been assigned. This can include anything from conducting time studies to building a database to creating a process map. I meet with stakeholders periodically to provide project updates and also sit in on planning and other department meetings.

What skills and knowledge have you gained during your internship?
I’ve been able to build my project management and professional communication skills. I also improved my knowledge of Excel and learned how to apply those skills to building databases and analytical tools. Also, I have had the opportunity to use what I’ve learned in the classroom, which has helped me better understand my engineering discipline and its applications.

How has the company culture influenced your internship experience?
The friendly environment has helped me feel welcomed and equipped to learn, and the culture of continuous improvement has pushed me to strive for excellence.

What advice would you give to future Toray interns?
Take advantage of the expertise and experience of your mentors and coworkers, they have the answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions in general. It’s okay to not know things, that’s how we are able to learn and grow.

“Kate Beardsley, an Industrial Engineering intern, gained valuable hands-on experience working within the Production Control group. Under the guidance of a Senior Industrial Engineer, Kate’s role involved learning and applying the various software and systems utilized by the group to support CMA’s manufacturing processes.  Kate’s internship in the Production Control group has been marked by her proactive approach to learning and her effective application of Industrial Engineering principles.” – Mark Haller, Director of Manufacturing

Natasha Young
Department: Technical
Title/Role: Technical Engineer Intern
School: University of Washington, Material Science Engineering

What motivated you to apply as an intern at CMA?
I gained a developing interest in the composites world and got to know about Toray as a composite supplier. As a leading composite material supplier for diverse engineering applications, this aligns with my career goals of getting to know the aerospace industry a bit more. This internship provided a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience with composites from an industry perspective and learn from fellow experienced engineers.

What does a typical day look like?
It’s dynamic and structured as this internship is heavily project-based, it depends on the next steps for each project, whether it’s collecting, compiling and analyzing data or submitting relating documents and attending meetings for discussion. Depending on progress, I switch between working independently or collaborating with stakeholders to ensure progression is made. As a personal development opportunity, side projects were taken on, including panel layups as well as providing assistance.

What skills and knowledge have you gained during your internship?
One of the large takeaways is the numerous characterization and analytical skills that I gained experience on, which is extremely helpful for a material science major. Apart from hard skills, being able to work in a team dynamic and communicating between peers to ensure that tasks get passed on clearly was one of the most important components from this experience as interdepartmental communication was also required on top of working with team members, to ensure proper and timely execution of tasks.

How has the company culture influenced your internship experience?
One of the main things is Toray’s heavy emphasis on safety and work-life balance, it was interesting to hear from fellow team members that this kind of working environment and culture is not common practice in industry, especially when it comes to the safety measures implemented when going down to the floor. Knowing this, it provides an ease of mind when down working on the floor or at CMRL, allowing a more focused experience on the tasks and projects at hand.

What advice would you give to future Toray interns?
Be mentally prepared to get hit by a truck-load of projects (and acronyms lol) on week 1 of internship. Initially, it may seem like a lot of work and as college students, certain skills to perform certain tasks have not yet been learned. But, as each project progresses, project owners and team members were very supportive. So, it is also completely okay to ask for assistance or resolve confusion as I learned that engineers love to share their wide book of knowledge and opinions.

Holden Kleiner
Department: Technical
Title/Role: Technical Intern
School: Santa Clara University, Mechanical Engineering

What motivated you to apply as an intern at CMA?
I’ve always wanted to learn more about composites. I’ve spent most of my schooling focused on metals and wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the materials that are going to be used in high levels of engineering before I enter the workforce. Toray seemed like the perfect company to gain that knowledge.

What does a typical day look like?
I spend the early morning prepping for the day looking over emails and planning out my tasks for the day. After our morning meeting, I would either spend most of my day at my tests doing computer work or down in CMRL. If I was at my desk, I’d be doing data analysis or writeups. If I was in CMRL I was collecting data, laying up parts, or other hands on work.

What skills and knowledge have you gained during your internship?
My understanding of how polymers work has never been this high. I’ve gained a fundamental knowledge of composites and how their different characteristics interact. I’ve also learned a lot about what makes something worth pursuing for a company, there is a lot more going into engineering than just making the strongest part.

How has the company culture influenced your internship experience?
The culture here has been wonderful. Everyone is willing to help and teach me new things while also giving me new perspectives on problems I am trying to solve.

What advice would you give to future Toray interns?
Knowing things is half the battle the other half is gaining an understanding of how the properties and concepts interact with each other. Don’t expect to know enough to solve a problem all by yourself, ask for help and other opinions.

“We had a great summer with Natasha and Holden. These two outstanding interns produced meaningful results starting from day one which is a core tenet to our Internship Program.  Each intern was specifically mentored by a Senior Engineer so they gained the experience necessary to excel in our industry and jump right in to tasks.  We look forward to seeing what Natasha and Holden accomplish at school and throughout their careers.” – Damon Call, Senior Manager, Technical Services