April 3, 2008  

Pellissippi State + ETSU degree partnership = smart dollars and sense

Randy Merritt, vice president of operations for Creative Structures, Inc., is a graduate of Pellissippi State Technical Community College’s construction engineering technology partnership program with East Tennessee State University. The construction industry, he says, is becoming more Web-based. That means employers are recruiting employees with computer and technical skills as well as those who perform the more traditional jobs associated with physical labor and specialized crafts.
 
Graduates of the collaborative degree program between Pellissippi State Technical Community College and East Tennessee State University in construction engineering technology often intern at local companies and usually secure permanent jobs after graduating.  Creative Structures, Inc., based in Knoxville, employs several of the program’s graduates, including (l-r) Ryan Rasmussen and Brian Hughes, both project managers, and Randy Merritt, vice president of operations.Some images die hard. 

In the construction industry, for example, the stereotype of men in hardhats and jeans, working physically demanding jobs, exposed to unpleasant weather and deafening noise, lingers.

While that image is still a reality in the industry, many areas also have gone high-tech, as companies try to find ways to build faster, better and cheaper.  

Not surprisingly, computers have been key in the transition. For instance, contractors are finding that working from plans created as 3D models on computers can help them build complicated structures faster, more safely and with fewer errors.

In fact, computer gaming skills can even translate into construction jobs: some managers are using video game­–style tools to train operators of both heavy equipment and portable, lighter machinery.

At Pellissippi State Technical Community College, students who successfully complete the collaborative degree program in construction engineering technology between Pellissippi State and East Tennessee State University are virtually guaranteed a job.

The partnership allows students to earn a two-year associate’s degree from Pellissippi State, then continue on for a four-year bachelor’s from ETSU—all without leaving the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

 “We have a 100 percent placement rate,” said George Cox, professor of Civil Engineering Technology and program coordinator. “We can’t graduate students fast enough. In fact, I have requests for graduates I can’t fill.”

Construction is the second-largest industry in the nation. An anticipated one million jobs will be added by 2012 nationwide. Locally, Knox and nearby counties are experiencing strong growth in commercial and industrial projects, despite the recent mortgage and real estate crises. 

“Because of government and commercial construction,” said Randy Merritt,  “Knoxville and the surrounding communities have been insulated from economic pressures tied to the mortgage crisis.” Merritt is vice president of operations for Creative Structures, Inc.

A graduate of the Pellissippi State–ETSU partnership, Merritt says he was well-prepared for a career in construction.

 “The construction industry is Web-based now,” he said. “And technical skills are a plus, because the speed of business today requires shorter response times.”

The partnership was established in response to demands by area contractors and developers for good people with formal training in construction technology. Besides plentiful job opportunities, incentives to earn the degree include good salaries, job security and career advancement.

“It’s not unusual for a graduate of the program to land a job with a $40,000 salary,” Cox said. Typical career choices: developer or contractor, project manager, field supervisor, cost estimator or even entrepreneur.

Students complete 64 semester hours at Pellissippi State to earn their Associate of Applied Science degree. The core curriculum includes math, science and CET courses. 

An additional 73 hours of required coursework for a B.S. degree from ETSU concentrates on field engineering, design and materials testing, construction management and cost control. Credits earned at Pellissippi State are fully transferable to ETSU.

Chris Rutherford of Knoxville completed the program in 2007.  He is a construction superintendent for Schaad Companies, a family-owned construction and real estate firm established in 1910. 

“I was already employed at Schaad while working on my degree,” said Rutherford. “The program allowed me to keep my job and take the classes I needed. The industry is changing, but I feel prepared for the future and plan to stay on this career path to see how far I can go.”

As the construction industry continues to be driven by new technologies, Cox and his colleagues at Pellissippi State have been faced with challenges in securing new equipment and machinery needed to stay on the cutting edge in teaching.

“Companies these days are using more computers, electronic sensors, digital technology and smart communications tools,” said Cox. “We want our students to have access to the best available, so we are looking for partners in the local industry to work with us.”

Tax-exempt in-kind donations of equipment or laboratory instruments may be an attractive option for some companies in our area, he says.

Students who are considering applying to the construction engineering partnership program may qualify for one of several scholarships available through the Pellissippi State Foundation.

For scholarship information, call the Foundation at (865) 694-6528. For more about the Pellissippi State–ETSU program, contact coordinator Kristin Ferguson at (865) 539-7033 or keferguson@pstcc.edu.

Search Pellissippi State News Releases.

Pellissippi State Technical Community College
2000 - 2007©