AGCEF Helps Students Transition from College to Work
The AGC Education Foundation is helping students from our state universities transition from their education into the industry.
AGCEF sponsored and designed a mentorship program that allows construction-management students from CWU UW and WSU to network with former scholarship recipients donors and industry leaders receive career advice practice job search skills and get an up-close look at large-scale projects while hearing from the individuals running them.
AGCEF created a day-long program tailored to each school. For example 12 students from Central Washington University recently practiced mock interviews then toured the Link Light Rail project with Sound Transit and Amazon’s South Lake Union project with GLY Construction.
Retired GLY President and CEO Lee Kilcup served on a panel of experts that provided career advice to the CWU students. “I’m interested in investing in the future leaders of our industry” Kilcup said. “I always wanted to teach but was never able to so I welcome these mentorship programs and the opportunity to help develop new construction managers.”
The CWU students underwent a job-interview “boot camp” and then participated in three one-on-one mock interviews covering different topics. Allison Bujacich Director of Capital Development at the University of Puget Sound was one of the interviewers. “This is such a great opportunity for students to refine their interview skills and make connections with the industry” Bujacich a former AGCEF scholarship recipient said. “The students are so smart and amazing and the construction industry is lucky to have them joining soon.”
A few weeks ago the mentorship day for WSU students involved a tour of the SR 99 tunnel project from Seattle Tunnel Partners JV a negotiated-work presentation from Sellen Construction and a team-strategy session at Guy F. Atkinson Construction.
“Every mentorship day requires many volunteers from panelists and mock interviewers to jobsite hosts” said AGCEF Executive Director Diane Kocer. “We are so grateful for the many AGC member companies former AGCEF scholarship recipients and AGC staff who make these events successful. Everybody has generously offered a helping hand to these students who are eager to begin their construction-industry careers.”
AGCEF thanks the following organizations that have helped make these mentorship days a success:
• Abbott Construction
• AGC of Washington
• Fisher & Sons Inc.
• GLY Construction
• Granite Construction Company
• Guy F. Atkinson Construction
• Kiewit/General/Manson A Joint Venture
• Seattle Tunnel Partners Joint Venture
• Sellen Construction
• Sound Transit
• The Boeing Company
• University of Puget Sound
• Walsh Construction
• Wilcox Construction Inc.
For more information about the mentorship days contact Diane Kocer at 206.284.4500.
Top photo: Amjad Omar Chief Inspector/Project Engineer WSDOT SR-99 Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Project gives students a project tour during WSU’s mentorship day.
Bottom photo: Paul Jentile Talent-Acquisition Partner Abbott Construction conducts job-interview “boot camp” with two CWU construction-management students.