uction Technologies Lab were only about three kids in the department then who were working toward that degree. Our HR director went to the career fair with me, and she asked, ‘What are we doing? There’s nobody here.’ I told her, ‘Mark my words, the demographics of Tarleton State University lean toward this type of degree. It will explode.” He was right. Tarleton’s Construction Science and Management program has boomed, now producing over 25 graduates a year. Over 180 students are enrolled. The university has initiated its own Construction Industry Advisory Council, following the lead of Texas A&M, Texas State University and UT San Antonio. Bartlett Cocke is active in those CIACs and brought some fundraising ideas to the Tarleton group. The company began negotiations after learning that Tarleton offers naming opportunities as a means of support. The donation is set up to promote student learning experiences in the Construction Science and Management program.
These activities distinguish the Tarleton experience and prepare our graduates to get out there and do great things. Randall has helped connect us to recruiting activities, mentored interns, participated in job fairs, provided program guidance — he really sets a fine example of alumni commitment to Tarleton. Bartlett Cocke previously partnered with Tarleton, sponsoring a booth for engineering technologies students to attend and recruit at the San Antonio Stock Show last year. The company annually brings on summer interns with an eye toward permanent employment. “Our new hires are about 80 percent from our interns,” Jay said. “We hire from A&M, UTSA, Tarleton and Texas State. This last year we had more success with our interns out of Tarleton than we did out of the bigger programs. That’s a big deal for a department in only its sixth year. We try to hire from small towns and communities because we know those kids are problem solvers.”
“Instead of just a nameplate on the outside of the lab, we are able to put up pictures of buildings we’ve built with our logo on the pictures. There are eight in the room and one in the hallway in front of the lab,” Jay said. Included in the pictures are Tarleton interns and graduates working at Bartlett Cocke.
Founded in 1959, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors has offices in Dallas, Austin, Baytown, Houston and San Antonio. The firm was named to the Engineering News-Record Top 100 Contractors in 2019, the same year it was selected General Contractor of the Year by the American Subcontractors Association.
“I am so thankful for the generosity of Bartlett Cocke,” said Dr. Denise Martinez, Associate Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at Tarleton. “Our construction science and management students are very active and very successful in national-level student competitions, and this will be a huge support for that.”
“We try to hire from small towns and communities because we know those kids are problem solvers.” - Randall Jay, VP
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Construction Technologies Lab
Newsletter Fall 2021 |
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