Award-winning, Rockville-based Firm Offers Students Chance to Gain On-the-Job Training, Experience, While Earning Academic Credit from Univ. of Md. Eastern Shore
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The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) announced this week a new cooperative education agreement with Grunley Construction Company, Inc. that will provide students in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s (UMES) Construction Management Technology program hands-on training with the full-service, award-winning construction firm.
Leaders from the UMES School of Business and Technology, USG and Grunley signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a partnership aimed at providing “meaningful, co-curricular learning opportunities for students, while growing a diverse talent pool of candidates for Grunley’s employment pipeline.” USG is a regional campus of the University System of Maryland, which offers academic programs in collaboration with nine state universities, including UMES in Princess Anne. Grunley’s headquarters is in Rockville less than a mile from the USG campus in Montgomery County.
“Our company is firmly committed to excellence and to doing all we can to ensure that the construction management industry in this fast-growing region is helping to prepare, attract and retain the highest quality professionals possible,” said Gregory M. Druga, President of Grunley Construction.. “We’re excited to be teaming with UMES and USG to launch such an innovative co-op program that will give the university’s construction management technology students an incomparable on-the-job learning experience and an intensive opportunity to explore their career interests and develop their skills.”
“UMES is pleased to provide our well-respected Construction Management Technology program at The Universities at Shady Grove and we are excited to partner with Grunley Construction Co., which has such an outstanding reputation in our region,” UMES President Juliette B. Bell said. “This is a ‘win-win’ for our students, who will have opportunities to gain critical, real-world experience while earning academic credit toward their bachelor’s degrees.”
“One of the aspects of The Universities at Shady Grove that we are so proud of is that virtually everything we do to provide students with the best possible experience starts with creating and maximizing the benefits of unique partnerships,” said Dr. Stewart Edelstein, Executive Director of USG and Associate Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University System of Maryland. “This new partnership with UMES and Grunley Construction is a prime example and will generate phenomenal opportunities for students who are selected to participate in the program.
- Among the stated objectives in the newly forged pact between UMES, USG and Grunley are the following:
- Support and promote student recruitment, internships, career development and employment in the field of Construction Management.
- Develop educational and engagement activities beneficial to UMES, USG and Grunley.
- Prepare and empower students to achieve their professional and career related goals through collaborative and innovative experiential learning programs.
- Prepare students to become future professionals, while also meeting the evolving workforce needs of Maryland, Montgomery County and the surrounding region.
- Identify and develop a highly qualified talent pool for sustainable employment with Grunley Construction.
In order to apply for the co-op program – in which eligible students will be able to earn both an hourly wage from Grunley and academic credit from UMES, students must be currently enrolled in the UMES Construction Management program at USG, as a junior or senior, with an appropriate grade point average.
Participating students must also go through an established pre-screening process conducted by USG’s Career and Internship Services Center. Upon successful completion of required work, UMES will award participating students with two credits for every 240 hours worked. The students may receive up to four credits maximum through this co-op program.
Other opportunities for participating students will include the chance to earn a book scholarship from Grunley upon placement in the program; a monetary bonus for successful completion of each of four departmental rotations within the company; certification opportunities; and professional development, including an assigned mentor from the Grunley team.