Headline: Juneau Hosts Students for Tour of SPSU Projects

Juneau Hosts Students for Tour of SPSU Projects
Posted: 6/24/2010

More than 50 high school students participating a summer youth program directed by Albany State University and Clark Atlanta University, were on hand for a guided tour of Juneau Construction Company's dinning, residence hall and special interest housing projects at Southern Polytechnic State University.

Juneau Construction Company welcomed dozens of high school students to the campus of Southern Polytechnic State University for an informative hard-hat tour of three major projects and provided the youngsters with an "insider's knowledge" of how such projects are formulated and constructed from start to finish.

Nancy Juneau, CEO, also addressed the students, providing them with information and insight into the modern day construction industry, detailing the various types of jobs that are available to them and suggested paths to take in their careers to reach their goals.

"At Juneau, we believe it is important to show our support for young students who have an interest in the construction industry," Ms. Juneau said. "This industry is amazingly diverse in that there are needs for almost every talent and skill. These high school students will certainly be the future of our industry, and we are happy to help them gain a deeper appreciation for the work and types of work available to them. We are especially pleased that one of our current clients, Albany State University, was able to participate in this event."

In an effort to address the need for a diverse workforce in the 21st Century and to create an awareness of the career choices and opportunities that exist in the transportation industry, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the National Summer Transportation Institute Program in which these ambitious students are participating.

In this program, high school students participate in a series of academic and practical experiences designed to motivate them toward professions in the transportation industry. The program shows the students what the transportation Industry employs: administrators, political scientists, social scientists, computer scientists, as well as engineers (mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.).

Clark Atlanta University and Albany State University are two of the more than 40 universities around the country that offer a Summer Transportation Institute (STI). Participants at CAU and ASU will also be provided with mathematics, science, and technological enrichment to enable them to pursue a career in transportation. At CAU and ASU, the programs are designed for upcoming 9th through 12th grade students with a minimum grade point average of 3.00. Students must express a sincere interest in science, engineering, or mathematics, or any related field pertinent to transportation in their application.

While at SPSU, Juneau's project team members led the students through each of the three projects, as they are nearing completion. They explained the unique aspects and special features of the buildings and told the students of the many technical and practical skills that are required to deliver such an extensive project.

"Working for a construction company like Juneau is something that I could see myself doing after college," one student said. "I'm very interested in how all the different pieces are put together, literally and figuratively!"

Carlos Garza is one of CAU's program leaders. He was on hand to witness his students' excitement and interest in the SPSU campus projects.

"A student can read about these types of endeavors and we can discuss the construction industry in a classroom setting in great detail, but there is no substitute for them seeing it first hand and speaking with the people who are responsible for building it," he said. "We are so grateful for the opportunity that Juneau gave us to take part in such an informative experience."

Students gather to receive their hard hats before ...

Juneau's Matt Chesser and Sam Elrod address the st...

Students tour the SPSU residence hall.

Students tour SPSU's special interest housing faci...

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