Students in the UNK construction management program get an up-close view of the industry during site visits. (UNK Communications, Courtesy)
KEARNEY – In a few weeks, Michael Brands will graduate from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a bachelor’s degree in construction management.
Instead of scrambling to find a full-time job, he’s focused on planning his upcoming wedding. The UNK senior already accepted a position with a construction company in Rapid City, South Dakota.
More than 80 students are currently studying construction management at UNK, and nearly all of them will be in the same position as Brands. The program boasts a 100% job placement rate, with most students receiving an employment offer, or multiple offers, before graduation.
It’s an industry that’s “hungry” for more talented, young professionals.
“More and more, the companies that are coming to the career fairs on campus are wanting to recruit students between their freshman and sophomore years,” said Jared Burgoon, an assistant professor at UNK. “This is a pipeline for them, and they want to get students in that pipeline as early as they can.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of construction managers is projected to grow by 9% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. These professionals often earn a six-figure salary, with UNK graduates making an average of $70,000 in their first year on the job.
It’s an attractive career for students like Brands, who grew up in Oakland and spent a lot of time working at the family ranch near Petersburg.
The former UNK football player chose construction management because it’s the perfect combination of working with your hands and working with people. He gets to utilize the leadership skills he developed in high school and college while continuously growing as a professional.
“In construction management, you’re literally doing something different almost every day,” Brands said. “You’re working on different phases of a project. You’re doing different tasks. It’s one of those industries where you can stay engaged and stay interested for a very long time. There’s always something new to learn, because there’s so much technology and evolution within the industry.”
HANDS-ON TRAINING
UNK lecturer JD Stone calls construction management an “exciting, dynamic field.”
It’s not “advanced hammer swinging,” he said. It’s more about planning, problem-solving and people skills.
“I love construction management because it’s tangible and real,” Stone said. “A lot of jobs are very rewarding, but you kind of have to understand why it’s rewarding to you. In construction, there’s an actual building you can point to.”
Part of the College of Business and Technology, the UNK program prepares students for managerial positions that oversee all aspects of a construction project, from concept to completion. It includes courses in business, management and finance, as well as construction-specific classes such as estimating, scheduling, surveying, safety and materials and methods.
“The business part of the degree is very transferable into a wide variety of related fields, but the majority of our graduates become construction project managers and construction project superintendents,” said Stone, who graduated from UNK in 2012 and worked in the industry before returning to his alma mater to teach.
Burgoon and Jim Vaux, an associate professor and chair of the UNK Department of Industrial Technology, also bring industry experience to the construction management program. All of the faculty meet regularly with members of a construction management advisory board to ensure the curriculum is up-to-date and meeting industry needs.
That’s something students notice.
“The curriculum is designed to apply directly to what you’re doing in your day-to-day job,” Brands said. “There’s nothing we learn that you won’t use someday. Everything is extremely applicable.”
Whether they’re interested in residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or infrastructure construction, every student benefits from the hands-on instruction – a hallmark of the program.
“Rather than just talk about stuff, we have them do it,” Burgoon said.
Students learn how to read blueprints, survey sites, estimate costs and develop timelines, then they’re required to plan a project using a full set of construction documents.
“They have to take everything they’ve learned and execute the same way a construction company would,” Burgoon explained. “These aren’t fictitious projects we’re coming up with. These are real projects from the community that other people have actually built.”
Every student in the UNK construction management program is also required to complete at least one internship, giving them real-world experience in the field before graduation. Because of the strong demand for employees, these are almost always paid positions.
“After a career fair, nearly every student has an internship within two weeks because it’s so competitive,” Brands noted.
He’s worked for Sampson Construction, MCL Construction and Boyd Jones the past three summers, gaining industry knowledge and building his resume. Brands was involved in the $32 million fraternity and sorority housing project on campus and the $25 million renovation of Calvin T. Ryan Library, as well as a large project at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
“Every internship is a really great experience, just being on the jobsite,” Brands said. “It’s even cooler to say I was part of something on campus. When I go into those buildings, there’s a sense of pride knowing I worked on them.”
INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
As Brands mentioned, UNK students don’t have to look too hard to find these opportunities.
The construction management program connects students and employers in numerous ways.
“We try to schedule as many touchpoints with our industry partners as we possibly can,” Stone said. “These touchpoints are good for learning, and they’re also good for building networks and confidence in the students.”
During site visits, students get an up-close view of the industry while checking out projects and meeting with professionals. Company representatives also come to campus to speak during classes and recruit students.
Ten years ago, less than a handful of construction firms were represented at the UNK Career and Internship Fair each semester. Now, that number is closer to 30.
UNK is a top-tier school for JE Dunn Construction, one of the largest general contractors in the U.S.
“I’ve seen a lot of positive growth in the construction management program at UNK over the last 10 years, specifically focusing more on the commercial side. I think that’s had a positive impact on students,” said Joe Jelden, a senior project manager at the company’s Omaha office and member of the UNK construction management advisory board.
Headquartered in Kansas City, JE Dunn has 26 offices in 18 states and hundreds of project sites across the country, including a 46-story tower in downtown Omaha – soon to be the tallest building between Chicago and Denver – and the new Kearney Cancer Center under construction near Kearney Regional Medical Center.
The company currently employs UNK graduates in a variety of positions and is a regular at on-campus recruiting events.
“We’re always looking for great talent, because that talent is an investment for our company,” said Jelden, who appreciates the strong work ethic displayed by Lopers.
“We want somebody who is going to have a long-term career with JE Dunn, not just a one- or two-year job,” he added.
Sampson Construction takes the same approach.
With a high demand for young professionals both locally and regionally, the Lincoln-based firm turns to UNK time and again to bolster its workforce. Four UNK students interned with Sampson last summer, and three are currently working for the company.
“When we hire new students, we make it clear that we want them to stay for a career, not just a job,” said Stuart Johnson, vice president of the company’s Kearney division. “I would say 90% of the students we end up hiring full time either work for us during college or complete an internship.”
Sampson has completed projects in 18 states and is currently working on the Rowe Sanctuary visitors center renovation and a Kearney Regional Medical Center expansion. The firm has more than 350 employees across locations in Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. About one-third of the management staff at the Kearney office are UNK graduates, according to Johnson.
“I think the UNK construction management program is headed in a really good direction,” he said. “We know the faculty well and really appreciate the work they’re doing to prepare students to be strong employees when they graduate. The students we get from UNK are competitive in any market we put them in.”
JE Dunn and Sampson both support the UNK Construction Management Organization, a student-run group that provides professional development opportunities for members. The organization “bridges the gap between students and industry” by hosting monthly company showcases on campus, as well as an annual golf tournament that serves as both a fundraiser and networking event.
The Construction Management Organization (CMO) also assisted with a Habitat for Humanity build earlier this semester, and members recently started visiting area high schools to promote the UNK program.
“That’s another thing I really like about the program here. There are so many opportunities to get involved, and they apply directly to my future job,” said Brands, the organization’s president. “I’ve been able to work for multiple companies and build my resume pretty much entirely through CMO.”
In addition to the 80-plus majors, nearly 30 students are pursuing construction management minors at UNK. Many of them will end up working in related fields.
“Once people get a taste of construction, they don’t usually switch to anything else, even throughout their careers,” Vaux said. “There’s something about it that catches and hooks you, and you just want to keep doing it.”
