Sherwin-Williams launches BW career accelerator and learning community

In partnership with JobsOhio, the program will offer holistic support for students, including success coaching, scholarships, networking and applied learning experiences.

A new career-focused learning community is launching at Baldwin Wallace University, backed by Sherwin-Williams, a global leader in the paint and coatings industry, headquartered in Cleveland.

The "Create Your Possible: Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator," in partnership with JobsOhio, will be open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in a range of specific majors in business, mathematics and the sciences, and students may sign up this spring.

Building career success

"Students in this program truly will be creating possibilities for themselves with comprehensive support to address academic, social and financial concerns," explained Dr. Jim McCargar, founding dean of the BW School of Science and Engineering. "Students will also have access to exclusive career programming, including an inside view of careers at Sherwin-Williams."

Three cohorts of up to 136 students will receive holistic support with success coaching as the signature benefit, complemented by networking, specialized programming and applied learning opportunities, including potential internships. They will also take advantage of events and activities tied to BW's Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program.

Developing talent

The program, which is also aimed at socially and economically disadvantaged populations who are underrepresented in accounting, finance and STEM fields, will provide scholarships for students with financial need. BW will work at recruiting underrepresented students into the program, including community college transfer students.

"Sherwin-Williams is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best and brightest workforce in Northeast Ohio. Through strategic collaborations with leading universities like Baldwin Wallace, we can continue to cultivate a dynamic and diverse talent pipeline for Sherwin-Williams as well as the region," said Diana Strongosky, Sherwin-Williams Senior Vice President of Global Innovation.

Majors eligible for the program are accounting, chemistry, cybersecurity analyst, data analytics, data science, engineering, computer science, finance, mathematics (pure and applied) and software engineering.

Powered by partnership

The "Create Your Possible: Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator" is just the latest initiative to emerge from BW's long, mutually beneficial partnership with Sherwin-Williams.

"We're grateful for this new chapter in our collaboration," said Lacey Kogelnik, executive director of BW Corporate and Organizational Engagement. "This specialized learning community will encourage students to be proactive and self-determined as they navigate the demands of college life and begin the transition from college to career."

The long-standing partnership between BW and Sherwin-Williams has included professional development, philanthropy, talent engagement, advisory board representation and faculty-led, student-supported project work.

As of August 2022, some 265 Baldwin Wallace alumni are employed at Sherwin-Williams. That number seems destined to grow with the addition of the Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator.

For more information on "Create Your Possible: Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator," contact Katie Adkins, STEM Scholars Program director, at kadkins@bw.edu.

About The Sherwin-Williams Company

Founded in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution, and sale of paint, coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. The Company manufactures products under well-known brands such as Sherwin-Williams®, Valspar®, HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy®, Krylon®, Minwax®, Thompson's® WaterSeal®, Cabot® and many more.

With global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, Sherwin-Williams® branded products are sold exclusively through a chain of more than 5,000 Company-operated stores and branches, while the Company's other brands are sold through leading mass merchandisers, home centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores, automotive retailers, and industrial distributors.

The Sherwin-Williams Performance Coatings Group supplies a broad range of highly-engineered solutions for the construction, industrial, packaging and transportation markets in more than 120 countries around the world.

Sherwin-Williams shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: SHW). For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com.