OCCUPATIONAL CHEMISTRY

OCCUPATIONAL GUIDANCE in high-school chemistry should begin the first class period. On the first day many students ask, "Why am I taking chemistry and how can I use it?" Often such questions are ignored, but here opportunities arise daily for the classroom teacher to give occupational information.

If occupational information is of any value it is given by the chemistry teacher who is alert, enthusiastic, and willing to accept this responsibility wholeheartedly. No matter how much occupational information is avail- able, it is worthless unless administered at the oppor- tune time.

If our teaching is to prepare the child for his place in society, we must administer occupational information which will enable him to find his place. Throughout the guidance program the ability level of the pupil is kept in mind, such as professional, subprofessional, skilled, semiskilled, or unskilled.

In our program, we should not think in terms of college alone, since only about 37 per cent of the stu- dents enter college. It is our responsibility to guide the rest into channels of gainful employment. The high-school chemistry course need no longer be an ex- ploratory course, but one in which the skills of the child have been developed to the point where he may become employed immediately after graduation. High-school chemistry does not qualify astudent for any pro- fessional career, however.

Early in the course an explanation is given that the chemistry profession is divided into two general groups, the chemist and the chemical engineer. In training for chemistry as a profession a choice is made between these two main divisions. The student must realize that hoth professions require a sound training in the principles of chemistry and a mastery of the fundamen- tals of physics and mathematics.

We further explain that the chemist is engaged in hoth control and research laboratory work. He deals with grams and milliliters, and his tools are the buret, the beaker, the balance, and the instruments of pre- cision. He thinks in terms of reactions, equilibria, and catalysis. His efforts are directed to discovering new materials or processes which show promise of having industrial application. The chemist's knowledge re- sults in new basic reactions, improved analytical methods, and the widening of frontiers of chemistry.

The chemical engineer's interest lies in reactions, equilibria, and catalysis from the point of view of their industrial application. He is conce,med with the appli- cation of chemistry and the branches of engineering

VIRGINIA W. FISHER Clarksburg, West Virginia

science to the design, construction, operation, control, and improvement of equipment for carrying out the chemical processes on an industrial scale. He handles tons and thousands of gallons. He deals withunit proc- esses or types of chemical reactions that characterize every chemical manufacturing operation. Reduction, halogenation, nitration, and sulfonation are examples of unit processes. The chemist studies them while the chemical engineer classifies all manufacturing opera- tions according to their predominating unit. He also designs and operates equipment for carrying out these processes on a large scale.

During the first week a personal data card is filled out for each pupil. From time to time during the year, additional information is recorded on this cumulative record. On this card are placed identifying data, physical characterisics, mental health, use of leisure time, social-economic data, scholastic achievements, employment record, educational, and vocational plans. Once such information is available the teacher is ready to give specific occupational information.

Since testing is a vital part of any occupational guid- ance, testing begins early in the course. Inventory tests such as those of Kuder, Cleton, or Gentry are given the first week of school to prepare the path for further guidance. With more emphasis on aptitude and diagnostic testing in chemistry, more accurate and reliable information is obtainable to use in the dissemination of occupational information. The class- room teacher, being better acquainted with the individ- ual, is capable of passing judgment or rating a student on those qualities for which no tests have yet been con- structed.

As the chemistry course advances certain appli- cations of vocational guidance may be pointed out by khe teacher. Many class recitations develpp into infor- mation regarding some career in chemistry. Who knows when a casual remark by the teacher may in- spire some pupil to become a Charles Martin Hall?

The various types of jobs from chemistry may be readily seen from a chart, such as that in Figure 1. This chart given to each pupil makes it a constant source of reference.

At the beginning of the second semester emphasis is placed on the qualifications, personal and academic, for training in chemistry. A check list of personal quali- fications, shown in Table 1, allows the student to check his qualifications at intervals with the teacher.

Once a student is directed into an occupation, he may face financial problems in securing his education.

FEBRUARY, 1948

CHEMIST I

CHEMICAL ENGINEER I

I t 1 CAREERS THROUGH CHEMISTRY

I I I I I +

~ o v d n m e n t ~ n d o d e d Institutions ~eaehing ~ndls t ry (City, State, Federal) 1 I

t Dept. Agriculture hlollon Inst. Dent,. Mines Armour Inst.

Bur. Chemistry Bur. Education Prttent Office Food and Drum Fisheries Army; Nrwy Air Farce F.R.I.

Boyee Inst. Battelle Inst. (et,c.) Medical foundations

I Univer~ity ~osilions Fields Callego 1 Sec. school Engineer

4 Heavy ehemicdls

Research chemist Light chemicals Operator Synthetics Control Alcohol Develo~ment Ceramics Executbe Consultant Salesman Secretary Editor Librarian '

Subprofessional Allied fields .4bstractor 4 . . 1 Indexer

Lab. techmomn Agriculture Purchaser Lab. assistant Medicine Patent Atty. Analyst Dentistry Assaver Veterinsrv Operator ~eni ta t ia i Inspect,or Public health

Pharmacy, Dietetics Nursing Engineering Physics Physiology Bacteriology Forestry Metallurgy Botany Cosmetics Stat,istics

Figure 1

Coal Cosmetics Chemurgic Explosive Fertilizers Foods Glass Leather 'Lime Oils Paints Psner ~eiroleum Pharmaceutical Photographic Plastics Rubber Starch Sugar Textiles Water treatment

(et,c.)

In our oceupational information, student loans, scholar- ships, and awards are explained throughout the year as they are presented to the school. Too often teachers TABLE 1 . - -- -- -

failto t,ake this opportunity to assist worthy students. Check List of Desirable for chemistry There are manv valuable scholarshio aids such as those ~ ~

of Bausch &" Lomb, Westinghouse Science Talent Search, George Westinghouse Engineering Scholar- ship, General Electric, individual cclleges, industrial awards, and cooperative work plans given by some colleges.

An integral part of any occupational information is the placement service rendered by the high-school chemistry teacher. Today the chemical industries are absorbing some high?school graduates as laboratory assistants and in production. Colleges and univer- sitieihave long maintained placement bureaus for their graduates and now the time has arrived when the high- school chemistry teacher must establish a similiar placement bureau. As never before are the chemical industries cooperating with the high-school teacher of chemistry by employing high-school graduates for non- professional work in the chemical industry.

Students may work in local enterprises while in high school or during vacation periods. Such corporations as E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Monsanto, Westinghouse Electric, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, and Fourco Glass be-

Rank, Rank, First Second

Semester Semester

92 JOURNAL OF OHEMICAL EDUCATION

gan the cooperative plan with high schools during the war and are still continuing it. The personnel directors of such companies realize that the real inspiration for a chemical career must originate in the high-school chemistry class. By such work expe~ience the student actually acquires first-hand information about the chemical industry from expert directors. High-school credit is allowed for this type of supervised work ex- perience. Cooperative enterprises may be established with hospitals, employment agencies, doctors, ahd den- tists. Any type of employment is an incentive for more occupational information among students.

Salaries and opportunities for advancement are a part of any occupational information program.

At intervals, the student-teacher conference, the key function of occupational information, is held according to a well-planned procedure. At least one conference should be held with parents, student, and teacher all participating. The radio and movies are valuable sources of occupational information. Visits to chemi- cal plants give first hand information on jobs in opera- tion. The encouragement of hobbies or projects either in class or chemistry club may open the way for the distribution of occupational information.

At the close of the year two or three weeks devoted to the recapitulation of the material presented through- out the year is desirable.

On the reserve shelf in the library, the references listed below are valuable for the high-school chemistry course.

In the dissemination of occupational information certain cardinal principles may be accomplished, such as: (1) to develop in the student a desire for occupa- tional information; (2) to present to the student a total picture of the years' activities; (3) to assist the student to interpret the available occupational material; (4) to develop each student individually; (5) to acquaint the student with a follow-up procedure.

OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION MATERIAL FOR RESERVE SHELF

Books

"Careers Ahead," JOSEPH COWLER AND HAROLD Bmcm, Little Brown & Co., 1933.

"Chemist a t Work." GRADY. CHITPUM. AND OTHERS. J. Chem. Educ., 1940.

"Industrial Chemistry," VAN PEURSEM, Rochester Athenaeum, 1944.

"So You Want to Be a Chemist," H. S. COITH, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1944.

"Your Career in Chemistry," N. CARLISLE, E. P. Dutton & CO.,

"Engineering Opportunities," R. W.. CLYNE, D. Appleton- Century Co., 1939.

"Plastics in the World Tomorrow." CAPT. BURR LEYSON. E. P . Dutton & Co., 1946.

"Careers in Steel Industry," ~ k . BURR LEYSON, E. P. Dutton & Co.. 1944 - --..

"Your Career in Engineering," NORMAN V. CARLISLE, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1944.

"Careers for Girls in Science &Engineering," EVELYN M. STEEL, E. P. Dutton & Go., 1944.

"Aeronautical Oocu~ations." C A ~ . BURR LEYSON. E. P. DuttOn

"Your Career as a Food Speciallist," DOREE SMEDLEY, AND ANN GINN, Dutton & CO., 1944.

"Careers in Science," P ~ L I P POLLOCK, E. P. Dutton & CO., 1945. "Photographic Occupations," CAPT. BURR LEYSON, E. P. Dutton

k C o 1R44. -~ - - - >

"Twenty Careers of Tomorrow," DBRELL AND FRANCES HUFF, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1946.

"Science Today &Tomorrow." WALDEMARKAEMPFFERT. Vikinz 0

Press, 1946. "Ehjoyment of Science," J. N. LEONARD, Doubleday Doran &

Co.. 1946. Journal Articles "Adapting the chemical engineer to the food industries," L. V.

BURTON, Trans. Am. Inst. Chem. Eng., 34,315 (1938). "American chemical industry as an employer." S. D. KIRK-

P A ~ C K , Chem. & Met. Eng., 44,530 (1937). "And so you want to he a chemist," J . J. JASPER, J. CHEM.

EDUC., 14, 517 (1937). "Annual income in the engineering profession from 1929 to 1934,"

ANDREW FRASER, JR., Mmthly Labor Review, 45, 412, 700 11"1* , ,LO.,,,.

"The chemist and chemical engineer in the explosive industry," DAVID E. PEARSALL. J. CHEM. EDUC.. 16.121 (1939).

-"" ,A"".,. "A chemist lookx a t culture." H. G. DEMING. J. CHEM. EDUC.. 14. . .

12 (1937). "Chemistrv'and the future!' HAROLD UREY. Seiaee. 88. 133 . .

(1936). "From the cradle to the grave," M. T. BOGERT, Ind. Eng. Chem.,

16, 553 (4938). "Educational qualifications in the engineering profession,"

ANDREW FRASER, JR., Monthly Labor Reuiew, 42, 1528 (1936). "Employment in the engineering profession-1929 to 1934,"

ANDREW FRASER, JH., J. CHEM. EDUC., 44,859 (1937). "Industrial demands for non-laboratory chemists," ibid., 21,

220, 272, 273, 276, 279, 281, 285, 287 (1944). "Looking ahead in professional development," W. K. LEWIS,

Chem. & Met. Eng., 44,680 (1938). "Personal placement views on chemical education," F. A.

ANDERSON, J. CHEM. EDUC., 15. 11 (1938). "The preparation of teachers of chemistry," W. S. GRAY, ziid., 14,

466 (1937). "Professional workers in war and peace," ANDREW F ~ S E R , JR.,

Chem. Eng. News, 22,791,1084,1379 (1944). "Qualificetionsfor teachers of chemistrv." J. H. BMONS. J. CHEM.

"The qukstidn oi training," E. A. RUDGE, Chemistry andindustry, 56, No. 38, 839 (1937).

"Should salesman he chemiodly trained? E. R. BRIDGWATE~, Chem. Industries, 44,261 (1939).

"The training of analysts," B. L. CLARKE, J. CAEM. EDUC., 14, 561 (1937).

"The training of chemists for work in the fields of biochemistry and medicine," Chemistw and Industry, 55, No. 43, 826 (1936).

"Trainiinine tomorrow's industrial leaders." C. M. A. S ~ N E AND

C H ~ ~ L ~ N TYLER, Am. Inst. Chem. ~ n g . ; 34,643 (1938). "What becomes of chemical engineers?" S. D. K I R K P ~ ~ ~ C K ,

Chem. & Met. Eng., 43, 645 (1936). "What is the chemical industry?" W I L L I ~ HAYNES, Chem.

Industries, 44,255 (1939). "What of the future for chemical engineering graduates?"

ANTHONY ANABLE, Chem. &Met. Eng., 42,306 (1935). "What industrv ex~ects of its chemists." J. CHEM. Eouc.. 14.265 - . . .

(1937). "Why a chemist?" W. A. C. CALDER, Chemistry andindustry, 58,

R 1191!X - \ - - - , . "Why the chemist in the paint industry?" R. J. GNAEDINGER,

Oil, Paint, and Dmg Repmter, 135,5 (1939). "The young chemists in the government service," Lours

MAB~HALL, J. CHEM. Enuc .14,476 (1937). & Co., 1945.