Events
Students Learn about Career Opportunities in Road Construction
Event Includes Tour of NC-540 Site Near Southern Wake Campus
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 5, 2022) – Wake Tech students are getting a firsthand look at what it takes to complete a large-scale road construction project.
Summit Design and Engineering Services invited students from Wake Tech’s Civil Engineering Technology, Construction Management Technology and Geomatics Technology programs to take a "field trip" to learn about the N.C. Highway 540 (Triangle Expressway) construction site near Wake Tech’s Southern Wake Campus.
The students gathered in a classroom for an overview of the massive project and toured the site to learn about the variety of engineering and construction roles that are needed to complete large-scale road construction projects.
Representatives from the North Carolina Turnpike Authority and various contract companies, including Lane Construction Corporation, Blythe Construction, Flatiron, Branch Civil, WSP and HDR Inc., also discussed their contributions to the project and their own employment opportunities.
"There is a lot of opportunity in the road construction industry," said Robby Hoffman, from Summit Engineering and Design Services. "There’s a huge need for engineers, inspectors, foremen and other positions. It is steady work – there are always roads to build!"
Students asked a lot of questions and were very interested in the various positions and opportunities for advancement.
"This is very exciting," said Yvette Chendjou, one of the students who participated in the tour. "There are lots of employment opportunities, and I like hands-on work!"
Lauren Bamford, employer relations coordinator at Wake Tech, helped plan the event to give students the opportunity to explore career options and network with employers.
"Exposing students to real-world jobs is a win-win: The students get to connect what they’re learning in the classroom with an actual job site, and the employers get to see how talented they are!" Bamford said.
For more information on career options and job hunting-skills, including resume writing, visit www.waketech.edu/careerservices.
