Packaging students from four leading U.S. packaging schools took a break from their package design books to develop critical communication skills. On November 9, 2008, Alcan Packaging Food Americas hosted "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High" for students and faculty from Clemson University, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Michigan State University and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The seminar, based on the professional training program and the eponymous New York Times best-selling book, introduced attendees to career-building techniques that harness the power of positive human interaction for personal, professional and organizational results.
"As part of Alcan Packaging's ongoing college outreach program, this seminar offers a tremendous way to help develop the packaging industry's next generation of engineers and designers," says Craig Shirley, director of talent acquisition for the company. "While these students are currently steeped in the fundamentals of structural design, we thought that it was important to introduce them to tools that are just as vital to advancing their careers."
In all, 80 students and faculty members attended the Crucial Conversations seminar. The seminar was held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, in Chicago, Ill., concurrently with PackExpo.