In February, our project team at the University of Houston, College of Medicine project hosted an externship for student members of the University of Houston Cougars for Women in Construction (CWIC) program. The CWIC program is designed to attract, support, and retain women for careers in the construction industry by providing knowledge that will help them stand out with industry professionals through networking and skill-building workshops.
The one-day externship included a tour of the College of Medicine building with the project team to understand the elements of construction and a hands-on view of team member roles. Our Safety Director, Rad Manning, presented a safety discussion and prepared the team for a safe site walk with proper PPE. After the walk, students participated in a question-and-answer session with an employee panel and discussed next steps and goals for a career in construction. Students who participated in the event shared insights on the externship as follows:
“I learned that it’s valuable to have good relationships with your employees and teammates, not just the clients. I definitely got hands-on experience as to how a project progresses and saw how many different things occur all at once.”
“I learned a lot more than I expected today. I learned that they start building from the top to the bottom. Today has made me decide to look into job roles in construction other than just project manager and superintendent. Overall, it was a great experience to be able to actually see what is taught in the classroom.”
“I was able to learn beyond what I was looking to learn. I was able to witness a huge construction project being built. I had the opportunity to look at what’s inside the building while it’s being made. I’m looking forward to internships and graduation because of how welcoming these companies can be. These people are always looking forward to learn and to teach everybody. Make the externships longer. I enjoyed it.”