Odebrecht & Braskem Bring Sustainable Award to U.S. University Students

The Odebrecht Award for Sustainable Development Rewards Future Leaders in Engineering and Chemistry.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - (September 12, 2011) -- The Odebrecht Organization is introducing its award for sustainable development to American universities through two of its subsidiaries - Odebrecht USA, the North American division of a global leader in engineering and construction services, and Braskem, the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas. By writing and submitting a paper on contributions to sustainability, undergraduate students have an opportunity to engage in a challenging exercise to develop engineering and chemical solutions.

Whether related to new building techniques, new chemical and petrochemical processes, or alternative uses of sustainable materials, projects should explore innovative practices, methods, and ideas that can be implemented on a variety of real-world ventures. Award entries will be judged on content, technical contribution, applicability, clarity/presentation and reasoning/depth. Currently, the sustainable award is also presented in six other countries.

We are excited to bring the Odebrecht Award to students in the United States, and we look forward to sharing their innovative ideas with our judging panel of experts, as well as potentially turning these burgeoning ideas into realities,” said Gilberto Neves, President & CEO of Odebrecht USA. “This is a great opportunity for students, universities and industry organizations to engage in a healthy competition, encouraging and supporting the future engineers, scientists and architects of America.”

The award is open to any undergraduate or group of students enrolled at a U.S.-accredited university, with at least one student seeking a degree in engineering, architecture, building and construction management, or chemistry. Entries will be accepted from January 2, 2012 through May 31, 2012 at http://www.odebrechtaward.com. Meanwhile, participants are encouraged to engage on Facebook and Twitter.

Prizes* will be awarded as follows:

First Prize:
$20,000 to the student (s), $10,000 to the advising professor and $10,000 to their university

Second Prize:
$7,000 to the student (s), $4,000 to the advising professor and $4,000 to their university

Third Prize:
$5,000 to the student (s), $2,500 to the advising professor and $2,500 to their university

Additionally, participants of all shortlisted entries will be invited to participate in the process to become an Odebrecht Young Partner or a Braskem Associate. These are trainee and internship programs where young talents will experience first hand what it is like to work for a global leader in engineering and construction, and chemicals and petrochemicals.

We're inviting young visionaries to join our revolution – to take this opportunity and contribute to positive change,” said Ricardo Lyra, VP HR & Communications for Braskem America. “We anticipate groundbreaking ideas from American students and we can't wait to see what they come up with.”

About the Odebrecht Organization
Founded in 1944, Odebrecht is a Brazilian multinational that operates in the engineering and construction, petrochemical, energy, bioenergy, oil and gas, real estate, and environmental engineering sectors. Present in 20 countries, it has more than 120,000 employees and $32.3 billion in revenues in 2010.

About Odebrecht
Founded over six decades ago, Odebrecht has grown to be a global leader in engineering and construction services, laying the groundwork for positive, sustainable change on five continents. Today, the Odebrecht Organization is a worldwide leader in providing engineering & construction, petrochemical and bio-energy services. As part of the Odebrecht Organization, Odebrecht USA opened its Coral Gables, Florida, office in 1990, and since then we have successfully delivered projects throughout the United States. Odebrecht has a particular emphasis on public-sector infrastructure projects of vital importance.

About Braskem
Braskem is the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas. With 31 industrial plants in Brazil and the United States, the company produces more than 33 billion pounds of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemical products annually. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Braskem America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A., has three production facilities located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as its Technology and Innovation Center in Pittsburgh.

*All cash prizes currently listed before taxation in accordance with state and federal law.

Media Contact:
Thais Reiss
Odebrecht
(305) 341-8861

New Business Aims to Help Unhappy Brits Achieve a Better Work Life

Research from oneworklife suggests that over 5 million* UK workers hate their jobs.

London, UK, September 12, 2011 -- A new business launches this week which aims to get unhappy Brits out of jobs they hate and embarking on a new career.

oneworklife is a new careers advice and training courses provider which aims to help people improve their career and earnings prospects by giving them all the help, advice, tools and guidance they should need to help them attain a new and improved work life.

Their new research suggests that 1 in 5 (18%) UK workers can't stand their jobs and that across the UK over 5 million* workers hate what they do for a living.

oneworklife Marketing Director, Trevor Field - a former Marketing Director at Sir Richard Branson's personal finance company Virgin Money - commented:

We see the career guidance and training courses provider sector as having real opportunities for growth. Many people are dissatisfied with their work lives and we can help them to change that whether it’s through switching to a different career or helping them to become self-employed. We believe there’s great demand for innovation in adult education and we are planning to expand the business quickly as more people take advantage of the services we provide.”

oneworklife has launched a marketing campaign using digital and social media to build awareness of the company and the many ways in which it can help those looking for a way out of a dead-end job.

oneworklife's specialist Career Mentors will help to identify users strengths and weaknesses, passions and goals in order to suggest suitable roles and career profiles.

From there the Career Mentors will draw up a personalised career path, setting out step by step the way to get there. This will cover everything from the best training courses to take to the best people to speak to, giving advice and support which may not be available elsewhere.

Trevor Field of oneworklife said, “Most of us probably spend more of our adult waking hours at work than anywhere else so it’s desperately sad that over 5 million UK workers hate their jobs. I hope that our new venture will help them to get new, more rewarding careers with better prospects and greater job satisfaction. We've created oneworklife to help and empower anyone who wants a different career to go out and get it.

Our Career Mentors are on hand to offer free careers advice and guidance over the phone and useful tools such as career and course guides, links to local job vacancies and help in finding the job you want. They will also help you find a training course that is right for you and get you the qualifications that are sought after by employers. We've even created a package for those who want to become self-employed. We believe you only get one work life and we want to help workers get the one they deserve.”

Other highlights of oneworklife’s research include:

18% of UK workers hate their job
11% hate their boss
7% hate the people they work with
27% have thought about changing career
14% say the only thing stopping them retraining is the cost
14% think they would have a better life if they retrained for a different career
31% would switch careers to get greater job satisfaction
32% would like to run their own business or become self-employed
35% want to switch to earn more money

Over a quarter (27%) of the nation’s workforce have thought about a career change and nearly 10 per cent say that all they need to persuade them to retrain is someone to help them. 14 per cent say the only thing stopping them retraining is the cost and 12 per cent would like to see the Government provide funding for adult education on a similar basis to student loans.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Jason Wyer-Smith at 42 PR on Ph: 07824 818242 E-Mail: Jason@42pr.com

Notes to Editors:

To link to our website please use http://www.oneworklife.com

Research commissioned by oneworklife and carried out with 2000 UK adults in August 2011.

*Source - ONS UK Snapshot Labour market Q1 2011 - 23.077m private sector workers + 6.162m public sector workers = 29.239m UK workers. 18% of 29m = 5.22m

About oneworklife

oneworklife's mission is to improve working lives. Helping people to identify their own skills, choosing a career that’s right for them and helping them get the training or qualifications they need to achieve greater job satisfaction and better earning potential. oneworklife will also help users find a new job or show them how to become self-employed or set up their own business.

oneworklife will help people to get more from their worklife.

Authors Pose the Question Are We Poisoning Our Kids With Food?

Children are now developing obesity-related diseases, previously considered primarily adult conditions, at an alarming rate.

New York, NY - September 12, 2011 -- Today, nearly one-in-three children is overweight or obese. Children are now developing obesity-related diseases, previously considered primarily adult conditions, at an alarming rate. Diabetes is showing up in children as young as 10 years old. These lifestyle related diseases such as type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor glucose and insulin metabolism, asthma, allergies and the collection known as metabolic syndrome are becoming common even before the age of 18. Many children are now taking adult medications for these chronic conditions. Sadly, studies show that 70% of overweight kids will be overweight or obese in adulthood.

Parents need to wake up and take responsibility for setting the example along with teaching their children how to eat properly, keep active and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” say Dian Griesel Ph.D. and Tom Griesel, co-authors of the amazing rapid fat loss book TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (April 2011, BSH). Why are our children getting fat and sick? According to the Griesel’s, parents and educators are allowing it to happen and most likely contributing to it. They elaborate: “Parents would not knowingly poison their children or let them play with loaded guns; however that is exactly what is happening when children are allowed to consume diets of processed, refined, fast-food, sugar-laden sodas and other drinks and all other junk food.” Read more.

About Turbocharged:
TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment. Common sense and a desire to be lean are all that is required for success at any age. For more information, log on to http://www.turbocharged.us.com. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Janet Vasquez
The Investor Relations Group
11 Stone Street
3rd floor
New York, NY 10004
212-825-3210