CoorsTek Academy

Challenge

According to the August 2021 JOLTS report, 74% more active job postings existed than pre-COVID-19, and 49% of small businesses still had unfilled jobs. The challenge for business was not only how find the right worker for the right role, but how to engage potential candidates. Facing labor shortages like many businesses post-pandemic, CoorsTek reinvented their recruiting approach and created CoorsTek Academy, which focused on soft skills and finding applicants who fit the company’s strong values-driven culture first.

Novitas Communications was tasked with cultivating earned media coverage for CoorsTek’s groundbreaking initiative, CoorsTek Academy. In this endeavor, our aim was twofold: first, to spotlight the innovation throughout this program, and second, to establish CoorsTek as a pioneer in devising inventive solutions that not only address their labor shortage but also potentially serve as an example for the broader manufacturing sector.

About

Founded in 1910, CoorsTek is a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics. With over 400 proprietary technical ceramic material formulations, leading process capabilities, and over 5,000 employees at its manufacturing, sales, and research facilities around the world, the company serves a wide variety of essential industries by creating new materials and technologies to meet its customers’ most demanding challenges.

Solution

Novitas diligently crafted a comprehensive and strategic outreach plan to engage with prominent Colorado media outlets, including television network news, radio stations, and print publications. Additionally, our outreach extended to influential manufacturing trade publications, as well as human resources and business-focused national publications.

We tailored pitches with the primary objective to illuminate the unique aspects of CoorsTek’s innovative approach. We accentuated the initial achievements witnessed during the program’s early stages, underscoring their significance in shaping a distinctive narrative.

As part of our outreach strategy, we invited the media to speak with to both Academy “students” (prospective employees) and instructors and hear their personal journeys and the positive impact the program has had on their professional growth. Additionally, we engaged Chief People and Systems Officer Irma Lockridge to provide invaluable insights into how the Academy has been instrumental in successfully filling long-standing vacancies within the organization.

This approach ensured a well-rounded and authentic representation of CoorsTek’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering growth, while also addressing critical recruitment challenges. Through this outreach, Novitas aimed to convey a compelling and informative narrative to our target media outlets, showcasing the tangible benefits of the Academy program and its vital role in CoorsTek’s continued success.

Results

Most importantly, news of this career development program reached the few candidates seeking jobs and encouraged others to switch jobs to participate in this program.

Novitas achieved notable media recognition by securing coverage in various local print publications, television broadcasts, trade publications, and prestigious national tier-one publications, including a prominent feature in the esteemed Wall Street Journal. Our strategic approach played a pivotal role in enhancing CoorsTek’s standing as a pioneering industry leader, celebrated for its inventive response to the significant labor shortage, particularly within the manufacturing sector.