主要内容
NWACC校友在建筑行业建立职业生涯
Construction technicians are in high demand, and 正规博彩平台 (NWACC) is filling the job market by providing the next wave of skilled laborers an affordable educational path to enter the field and maximize their career opportunities.
“I wasn’t even graduated yet and I got a job,” said NWACC alumna Maria Garcia who participated in the 建筑技术方案. Maria was among the first class to graduate from the program in May 2018 and earn an 建筑技术应用科学副学士。 She is among the 100% placement trend that NWACC’s Construction Technology Program boasts of thus far.
Maria got her first taste of college while still in high school by taking concurrent courses at a large four-year institution. She found herself uncomfortable with the class sizes and large campus.
“这是一个不同的世界。 教授不知道你是谁。 You walk around campus as just, basically as a stranger. 你真的谁都不认识，”她说。
Due to other life obligations, Maria went on to work at a restaurant for the next 10 years. She didn’t intend to go back to school until a friend told her about NWACC’s new Construction Technology program. To learn more, Maria met with Construction Technology Professor Robert Beeler.
“我见过比勒先生，他非常棒； he had so many visions and was so excited about the program that he just talked me into it, and I was enrolled in less than a month,” she said. “我在这里（NWACC）感觉更舒服，教室更小。 You get to know your professors and everything.”
Typically, it takes two years to earn an associate degree in Construction Technology at NWACC. Students learn about methods and equipment used to build structures and how to plan, coordinate, and successfully implement structure projects.
玛丽亚发现这个项目和教授非常适合她的需要。
“Everybody is so helpful and they make the whole process really easy… You have tutors, you have people to help you with scholarships. 你不是一个人在这里，”她说。
“我觉得我们有很棒的教练。 All the instructors were actually in the field… There was a lot of networking activities that were part of the program, so I think that helped us a lot.”
Networking events and connections between NWACC and local construction companies opened up career opportunities for Maria and other students. “Your instructors are a great foot in the door. 他们已经在公司工作了。 They know several contractors,” she said.
在2018年5月毕业之前，玛丽亚得到了一份工作，这改变了她的生活。 “我是一名预估员，”她说。 “Now, I have weekends, I haven’t had weekends in like ten years... 这绝对是值得的。 这很难。 It is hard sometimes, but I think it’ll pay off in the end.”
Opportunities for employment in the Northwest Arkansas construction industry are forecasted to grow over the next decade. With an Associate’s Degree in Construction Technology, students can expect a starting salary of $40,000 or higher. If you’re interested in entering the construction field, Maria has advice on landing the right job.
“Construction companies are looking for people who are motivated and willing to learn more … construction is going to be a lot of multi-tasking. You’re not just on one project … five at one time or five spread out,” she said. “老实说，建立联系。 不要害怕把自己展现出来。 工作就在那里。 You just have to look.”
与NWACC共创未来。
Visit nwacc.edu or call 479-986-4000 to learn more about choosing a higher education with NWACC.