MdQI Highway Construction & Engineering Career Day - March 29, 2007 - A Summary of Success
by Barry Catterton

MdQI's fourth Highway Construction & Engineering Career Day event was held on March 29 at Chaney Enterprises' Waldorf Plant & Training Center. Nearly 500 Charles County students, teachers, counselors, and other adult chaperones participated. The Training Center was bustling with interactive presentations on a number of civil engineering disciplines, as well as electrical and mechanical engineering. Hands-on construction activity stations and equipment were enjoyed by students outside the Training Center and indoor laboratory testing stations were brought in to provide hands-on learning opportunities as well. For the students interested in construction or heavy equipment maintenance, the day included a tour of the on-site concrete plant, block plant, and heavy equipment maintenance facility. Students interested in engineering toured Chaney's mining, reclamation, and environmental remediation areas. Engineering principals that were critical to this work were highlighted in the tour presentation

All participants also had an opportunity to participate in the interactive Maglev model, which is part of the TRAC program. Career information was provided in each of the giveaway bags, and each participant received their very own hard hat to remember the day. The feedback from students and teachers was very positive. Charles County Schools and Chaney Enterprises are very anxious to repeat the event in the near future. Additional contractors and equipment manufacturers have now expressed interest in hosting the event at their facility. A de-briefing meeting is scheduled for May 18 to discuss the next event.

The MdQI Steering Team and Training & Recruitment Subcommittee would like to thank Chaney Enterprises for hosting this year's event, and for providing lunch for all attendees!

Special thanks also to all event sponsors.

Gold Level: Aggregate Industries; Facchina Construction Co.; Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson; LaFarge North America; Wallace, Montgomery & Associates; Whitman, Requardt & Assoc; and URS. Silver Level: American Civil Construction; P. Flanigan & Sons, Inc.; Indam Engineers; Straughan Environmental; Rummel, Klepper & Kahl; and Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani. Bronze Level: Development Facilitators Inc.; EBA Engineering; Gannett Fleming Co.; Gray & Son Inc.; Heery International; KCI Technologies; Martin Marietta Materials; Maryland Paving; North Star Foundations; The RBA Group; Schnabel; STV, Inc; and Thomas Bennett Hunter.

The following companies provided equipment that allowed the students to have “real world” experience with the tools and technology used in our industry: Aggregate Industries; Anne Arundel County DPW; F.O. Day; Grace Construction Products; Hunt Valley Contractors; Lafarge North America; Reliable Contracting; and SHA. Leaders from the MD Asphalt Association, MD Highway Contractors Association, MD Aggregates Association, and MD Ready Mix Concrete Association also played key roles in carrying out the event and securing sponsors. Engineers from many of Maryland's engineering firms gave enthusiastic, hands-on presentations that engaged the students, and showed how vital the profession is for society.

We look forward to our next event (next school year), which will allow us to expose more of the future workforce to the great career opportunities available in our industry!