By Ashley Karen
Underground construction worldwide is becoming more ambitious and complex by the year. We who are already in the business recognize that we can’t wait to expand our workforce to meet the demands of future projects. We need to act now. But how? What’s the best way to reach those future engineers in our colleges and universities and show them the exciting possibilities that lie in the world of underground construction? The truth of the matter is that far too many of our places of higher learning do not expose their students to underground engineering and construction. We, the tunneling professionals, need to take the bull by the horns.
The UCA went on a fact-finding mission to understand how to best reach the students. We learned three things: 1) there is very real interest in the underground out there, but no familiarity, 2) you have to reach civil engineering students in their junior year before they have settled on a career path, and 3) the professors are a lot more influential than anybody suspected. A survey of 113 civil engineering college students conducted by the UCA indicated that the majority learn about career options from their professors. Of the engineering professors also surveyed, two thirds noted that while they were quite familiar with the underground construction field, they did not have the resources to share with their students. We, the practitioners, therefore need to be proactive in engaging with students in their junior year and bringing resources directly to the professors. And so the Down For That initiative, spearheaded by the UCA, was born. The intent with this program is simply to be the definitive connection between the tunneling world and academia (both students and professors).
A UNIFIED APPROACH
As the definitive connection between tunneling and academia, the Down For That initiative is now a collaborative effort of all of the major players in the tunneling industry; the UCA, ASCE, The Moles, The Beavers and the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI). They each bring something unique to the table.
The UCA went on a fact-finding mission to understand how to best reach the students. We learned three things: 1) there is very real interest in the underground out there, but no familiarity, 2) you have to reach civil engineering students in their junior year before they have settled on a career path, and 3) the professors are a lot more influential than anybody suspected. A survey of 113 civil engineering college students conducted by the UCA indicated that the majority learn about career options from their professors. Of the engineering professors also surveyed, two thirds noted that while they were quite familiar with the underground construction field, they did not have the resources to share with their students. We, the practitioners, therefore need to be proactive in engaging with students in their junior year and bringing resources directly to the professors. And so the Down For That initiative, spearheaded by the UCA, was born. The intent with this program is simply to be the definitive connection between the tunneling world and academia (both students and professors).
A UNIFIED APPROACH
As the definitive connection between tunneling and academia, the Down For That initiative is now a collaborative effort of all of the major players in the tunneling industry; the UCA, ASCE, The Moles, The Beavers and the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI). They each bring something unique to the table.
The UCA went on a fact-finding mission to understand how to best reach the students. We learned three things: 1) there is very real interest in the underground out there, but no familiarity, 2) you have to reach civil engineering students in their junior year before they have settled on a career path, and 3) the professors are a lot more influential than anybody suspected. A survey of 113 civil engineering college students conducted by the UCA indicated that the majority learn about career options from their professors. Of the engineering professors also surveyed, two thirds noted that while they were quite familiar with the underground construction field, they did not have the resources to share with their students. We, the practitioners, therefore need to be proactive in engaging with students in their junior year and bringing resources directly to the professors. And so the Down For That initiative, spearheaded by the UCA, was born. The intent with this program is simply to be the definitive connection between the tunneling world and academia (both students and professors).
A UNIFIED APPROACH
As the definitive connection between tunneling and academia, the Down For That initiative is now a collaborative effort of all of the major players in the tunneling industry; the UCA, ASCE, The Moles, The Beavers and the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI). They each bring something unique to the table.
