A Summer Intern’s Day - Long But Varied, Too
All interns don’t wear white
coats and carry stethoscopes. At
Fieldcrest this summer, there
are eight college students
working on special projects in
various locations. They are
summer interns.
One of the students, Kerry
Jackson, is working in the
Woolen System Spinning
Department at the Blanket
Greige Mill. A rising senior at
North Carolina State University
majoring in textile technology,
Kerry is working on a project
involving the training of
spinners.
the Training Department, to
discuss the progress of the
various trainees and to
determine methods of helping
those who are having
difficulties. He also confers
frequently with Fred Robertson,
general superintendent of the
Blanket Greige Mill, on different
aspects of the project.
For the first three to four
weeks of the project, Kerry
worked on learning how to
perform the duties of a spinner.
He then attended the instruction
training class at the Central
Training Department and also
worked with Bobby Garland,
training coordinator at the
Blanket Greige Mill, and the
regular spinning instructors in
the Woolen System Spinning
Department, learning how to
teach the spinning job to new
employees. This last stage of his
training was devoted to
observing trainees in an effort to
determine method errors and
speed problems and helping the
trainees to overcome these
problems. Kerry is now
performing the training
coordinator’s duties in the
Woolen System Spinning
Department alone.
The objective of Kerry’s
project is to help the new
spinners become proficient in a
short period of time. This results
in less frustration for the new
employees in learning a new job
and also in a more productive
employee for the Blanket Greige
Mill.
As part of the Fieldcrest
summer intern program, Kerry,
along with the other interns,
attends meetings each week at
which company officials speak
to the group about the various
operations of the company. A. L.
Jackson, senior vice president
manufacturing; K. W. Fraser,
vice president-finance and
treasurer; and H. H. Newton,
vice president-industrial
relations, are among those who
have addressed the group.
He meets regularly with
Clinton Woods, section foreman
in the Woolen System Spinning
Department, and with Charles
Davis, training supervisor from
Also as part of the program,
Kerry is participating in what is
called “The Executive Game,” a
program also used as part of the
Fieldcrest management
development training.
The students are divided into
teams and assume the roles of
executives of an imaginary
company. As the teams make
decisions about their company,
the data is fed into Fieldcrest’s
computers, thereby showing
them whether they are making a
His day starts as Kerry Jackson, summer intern, pre
pares own breakfast at Lisa Beth Apartments.
4
profit or heading toward
bankruptcy. The participants
follow a textbook, and
adjustments of errors are made
through computer analysis. The
purpose of this program is to
acquaint the students with the
basic theories of American
economics.
Discussing the summer intern
program and his own
participation in it, Kerry says he
feels he is gaining valuable
experience by working in a
textile plant on a project such as
his.
offers, although I’m still
undecided as to which area of
textiles I want to go into,” he
said. “Spending the summer
working at Fieldcrest has really
helped me to know more about
the industry and also more about
myself. I think it’s just great.”
Presently in its sixth year,
Fieldcrest’s summer intern
program was one of the first of
its kind in the textile industry.
Now many schools offer credit
for the program. Kerry will
receive three hours credit for his
participation.
process, but it provides a two
way learning experience for
both the students and the com
pany,” Mr. Ellis said.
Summer interns are selected
by Fieldcrest from lists
qualified nominees furnished by
the various schools. Local
students on these lists are shown
preference, Mr. Ellis said.
“I’m getting some wonderful
insights into how to work with
people and also an excellent
overall picture of how the
company operates,” he said.
“All of this will be a big help
when I graduate and go out on
my own. I’ll be more aware of
how it really is to work in a
textile plant than someone who
hasn’t been through a summer
internship.”
The primary purpose of the
summer intern program, ac
cording to Raven Ellis, man
ager-executive employment,
who coordinates the project, is to
give these students an insight
into how Fieldcrest operates and
some realistic experience in
working in a textile plant. Their
projects range from the training
of spinners to laboratory
research projects.
“I picked textiles as a career
because of the tremendous
opportunities the industry
“Not only does the program
give Fieldcrest the opportunity
to participate in the educative
The seven students!
participating in the program thisi
summer, in addition to Kerry!
Jackson, are Rick Holland^
North Carolina State University!
who is working at the Foremost
Screen Print Plant; Byroi
Annas, North Carolina State
University, Karastan Rug 1\
Wayne Booth, University
North Carolina at Chapel Hilli
Draper Sheeting Mill; Robin}
Butler, North Carolina State|
University, North Carolina!
Finishing Company; Carolyi|
Williams, University of Nortli|
Carolina at Greensboro^
Foremost Screen Print Plant:'
and Cynthia Weevil, University!
of North Carolina at GreensborOi
Fieldcrest Marketing Division,
New York.
^ After arriving at mill, his first action is to meet with spinning instructors Lois Pro^i
fitt (left) and Beatrice Cochran to discuss new training program for spinners.
:" \V ^’0
Kerry confers with Fred Robertson, general superintendent—Blanket Greige Mill.
THE MILL WHISTI