Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/605412
W hen contractors talk about the lack of skilled construction labor, they're usually referenc- ing laborers and equipment operators. But there's another lack that is just as troubling to many of the con- tractors I talk with: the people needed to run a company, especially when there's no apparent next generation. Which is why I found being one of the judges of the inaugural Construction Intern Awards, sponsored by software provider HCSS, so intrigu- ing. Presumably some of the contest candidates here will find themselves in construction company ownership positions in the coming years, along with those who rise from the labor ranks. The can- didates, all college upperclassmen (whether male or female) who had interned in a construction company this year, were asked to describe the main projects they worked on, and then answer four questions: • What results did you achieve on the projects, and what impact did they have on the company? • What real-life technical or business skills did you learn? • What did you learn from this internship that will affect your life in a positive way? • Where do you think technology will make the biggest impact in construction in the next few years? How will it do that? As I read through the answers of the 20 can- didates that made it to the final judging round, I couldn't help but be impressed. The contractors, as contractors are wont to do, truly put these interns to the test -- and even in one case, over a job. "Within the first couple of weeks, I had learned more than I have in three years of col- lege combined," said one candidate, a construc- tion management major working for a multifamily builder out of Indianapolis. Several candidates cited equipment experience. One managed four intelligent compaction rollers on a 11-mile project in Oregon. Another became the heading engineer on a tunnel boring machine used on a Washington, D.C. wastewater treatment plant. And a third filled in for a foreman on a power plant job in Ohio, dumping Cat 631 scrap- ers and directing aggregate trucks. This in-field experience also benefitted the employers. An Ohio State intern, noting that a company surveyor had to manually convert coordinates from one GPS system into another incompatible system, devised a way to automati- cally convert each number in Excel. Voila: hours of work saved. One of my favorite comments came from a Texas A & M construction science major work- ing on a schedule-intense Kyle Field project at his school. It reflects the work ethos I see in the contractors I meet: "The most important thing I learned from this internship is what it means to work hard," he relates. "Working alongside a vice president of a multimillion dollar company with 40 years of experience at 9 p.m., peeling protective films off of food service equipment and sweeping kitchens, was unforgettable," he relates. Congratulations to Chase Ekstam, a Missouri State construction management major interning for APAC-Missouri, winner of the $10,000 (yes, you read that right) grand prize. You can read Chase's entry – along with all the others who entered at constructioninternawards.com. Beyond great read- ing, they're also great resumes … perhaps for a position in your company. EquipmentWorld.com | December 2015 9 on record | by Marcia Gruver Doyle MGruver@randallreilly.com Intern awards showcase students who will shape this industry's future