Joe Masello had a dream.
“My goal was to earn an associates degree,” he says, “but then I found out about the Project Management program at Wentworth and immediately transferred.” A graduate of Wentworth’s Master Electrician program, Joe knew he could count on a degree from Wentworth to help him achieve his dreams.
But he didn’t realize just how far it would take him. Continue reading
Are you a hard worker, dependable and honest but you lack some basic construction skills and training? Constructing Observations, AGC’s blog, tells the story of one woman, who’s “soft skills” opened the door to new job opportunities and a college degree from Wentworth.
Going back to school is a big commitment. And it can feel overwhelming at times. Below are 6 things that every part-time student can do to help manage the workload and be successful in their program.
The massive snows of 2015 have long since melted, but they did leave behind one, positive, long-term effect. The MBTA is finally getting the attention, and funding, it needs to bring existing rapid transit, trolley and commuter rail systems up to a “state of good repair.” As a result, a lengthy list of deferred maintenance will be addressed over the next several years, and the long-delayed Green Line extension to Somerville, 30-years in the making, is now fully under construction, with completion scheduled for 2022. Progress comes slowly with major transportation infrastructure in the Boston area. Continue reading
If you will be spending this 4th of July with friends and family, you are not alone. Nearly 41 million Americans will spend the holiday at other people’s homes. As you gather around the grill, or are waiting for the fireworks to begin, you can impress your loved ones with these fun but little-known facts about this patriotic day:
Haylee Bacik has been called the “future of construction,” and a role model for young women who want to get into the industry. She recently received a Master of Science in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is currently employed by Gilbane Building Company as the lead project engineer on a $12 million expansion project in western Massachusetts.
Phil Hammond, Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Professional and Continuing Education at Wentworth Institute of Technology recently asked Bacik for her thoughts on the past, present and future of construction, particularly for young women. Continue reading
To hear many of Haylee Bacik’s professors and colleagues talk, she is something of a superstar. A 2014 graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Bacik earned her Master of Science in Construction Management in 2018, while working full-time and keeping up with a busy social life. Along the way, she received numerous awards and accolades, including this year’s Dean’s Award from the College of Professional and Continuing Education.
But, like so many part-time learners, Bacik wears a lot of hats—full-time employee, student, family member, teammate. And she has faced her share of challenges. Still, she has managed to find time for the things she enjoys—softball, volunteering, and a cat named Bandit.
Below are excerpts from a recent interview with Bacik.
Bacik: I grew up in Lowell Massachusetts and attended Greater Lowell Technical High School where I fell in love with carpentry. I first came to Wentworth as an undergraduate because it offered the perfect blend of hands-on learning and real-world application that I wanted. Now, I am a Project Engineer at Gilbane Building Company. Being in the field and solving problems is something that I enjoy doing and that stems from my carpentry shop roots.
[Outside of work and school] I enjoy playing softball. When I was an undergraduate [at Wentworth] I was captain of the team and received the Sweeney Award. Currently, I play in a summer co-ed softball league. I also enjoy knitting, sewing, and all sorts of crafts. And I have traveled to some incredible places—Mexico, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Ireland—but would love to visit France, Africa, and Greece sometime.
And I have a cat named, Bandit.
Bacik: When I was younger…I wanted to be a veterinarian. However, in high school, I fell in love with the carpentry trade [which] led me to my current path. In my spare time, I volunteer for the Lowell Humane Society where I help plan events and care for the animals in the shelter.
Bacik: Balancing school and work is no easy task, but it can absolutely be done with good time management. Often, I would wake up very early in the morning, go to the gym, go to work all day, and then stay at work through the early evening until my homework was finished. Every week I planned what I would work on for homework each day based on the weekly deliverables. Chipping away at the work day by day is key, as weekends are never as free as you plan them to be.
Bacik: The biggest challenge completing school while you are working full time is balance. The balance between work, school, your social life, family, and friends can be a real struggle. For me, it was making plans way ahead of time and fitting those planned events into my weekly schedule. There are going to be events and gatherings that you just won’t be able to attend. Knowing your limits and not stretching yourself too thin is so important, because making too many commitments is going to burn you out.
Bacik: 1. A good, reliable laptop with a strong internet connection. (My classes were online)
2. A weekly/monthly planner. I used Outlook often to keep track of both work and school.
3. The support of my family, company, co-workers, and friends.
Bacik: Post-graduation I have continued to work as a Project Engineer for Gilbane Building Company on a $12 million freezer/cooler expansion project in western Massachusetts. This is a great opportunity for me to learn about ground improvements, foundations, steel, and refrigeration systems as well as cost management. I look forward to gaining more field experience to further develop my career in project management.
Bacik: Be Kind. Be Driven. Be Humble.
Check back for Part II of our interview with Haylee Bacik as she shares her thoughts on a career in construction management and the past, present and future of construction.
An interesting thing happened in my Computer Aided Manufacturing class recently. In the spirit of EPIC—an initiative at Wentworth which promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary learning–this class combines engineering and industrial design students in mixed teams, taught by faculty from both disciplines who challenge students to employ engineering, design and manufacturing solutions.
During this particular session we were critiquing the concepts of each of the student teams and, as is customary at the early stages of the design process, the work that we were looking at consisted of conceptual sketches. We asked the students to come to class the following week with prints which would reflect deeper thought and less ambiguity so that we could begin to focus our critiques on the details of their solutions.
Then it happened . . . “Professor? By prints, do you mean 2D prints or 3D prints?” It occurred to me at that very instant that we were talking about removing ambiguity from their designs and yet the very word that we have used for years, “prints,” was suddenly ambiguous.
3D printing has become so pervasive and commonplace that we must now qualify what we mean when we use the word “print.” For those of us in the engineering and design profession, this is no surprise and it is an indication that 3D printing is here to stay. However, 3D printing is no longer just the little darling of the prototyping world. It has grown up and has a new name: Additive Manufacturing.
In fact, not only does it have a new name, but it now has a newly approved, one semester, four credit course at Wentworth, Intro to Additive Manufacturing, dedicated to providing students with a useful foundation of knowledge and experience on which to build their careers. Wentworth is one of a number of higher education institutions that is a member of the Stratasys Educational Customer Advisory Board (eCAB). As a group we have worked together to create the curriculum, content, and examinations leading to a Level 1 Certification Exam in Additive Manufacturing.
According to McKinsey & Company, Additive Manufacturing is poised to have an economic impact of $100B – $250B per year beginning in 2025. That’s right, somewhere in the neighborhood of a quarter of a trillion dollars per year and 2025 is just around the corner. In preparation for this, not only has Wentworth approved a new course (with more to follow), but it has committed nearly 2500 square feet of lab space and well over $1M of additive manufacturing equipment to be located in its new Multi-Purpose Academic Building scheduled to open in January 2019.
This lab will house equipment capable of printing in standard, engineering, and high-performance thermoplastics; continuous carbon fiber, Kevlar, and fiberglass composites; multi-material, multi-color photopolymers; metals and ceramics. It will provide hands-on experience with FDM, PolyJet, SLA, SLS, MJF, sintering, and post-processing equipment.
Why is this so important to Wentworth? As the opportunities for additive manufacturing continue to grow, so too will the demand for a knowledgeable and skilled workforce. A leader in education for the built environment, Wentworth wants to be proactive in meeting that demand and preparing students to actively participate in this important field with so many potential opportunities.
Here is a sample of the industries that are already being impacted and are taking advantage of additive manufacturing: Aerospace, Automotive, Consumer Products, Medical, Dental, Robotics, Pattern Making/Foundry, Injection Molding, Industrial Design, and Architecture. The list goes on and is only limited by the number of creative people who have the knowledge base to apply all of this new technology.
The demand is growing, the time is right; be a part of it.
Oh yeah, we really meant 2D prints when we were speaking to the students. The 3D printing comes a little later in the course.
Steve Chomyszak is an Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, at Wentworth Institute of Technology and has his Bachelor of Industrial Design from Syracuse University and his Master of Science, General Engineering from Stanford University. Steve has 25 years of industrial experience designing, engineering, building, and testing unique positive displacement machines. He has been at Wentworth since 2012.
Do you know what the top security threats for facility managers are? Would you like to reduce your energy operating costs? Are you wondering about ways to advance your education and your career in facility management?
Then co
me to the NORTHEAST BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SHOW AND CONFERENCE, June 13-14, 2018 at the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center.
The Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management Show & Conference, now in its 13th year, features over 250 exhibitors displaying products and services necessary for the operation, management, maintenance and renovation of buildings and facilities in the greater New England region. Running concurrently with the trade show will be an educational conference featuring 22 individual one-hour talks covering a wide range of topics including: LEED, Green, Sustainability, Energy, Building Commissioning, Facility Maintenance, Construction and Renovation Planning.
For the third year in a row, the College of Professional and Continuing Education from Wentworth Institute of Technology will be among the exhibitors. This fall, Wentworth will launch (2) new degree programs: a Bachelor of Science in Facility Management (BSFM); and a Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM). The Bachelor of Science in Facility Management (BSFM) offers instruction which reflects the integrated nature of today’s FM environment and is designed to prepare students for professional careers in facility management for in a wide spectrum of organizations. The new Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) will help working FM professionals elevate their business acumen, strategic thinking and interpersonal skills, all within the context of an increasingly complex and strategically critical technical world.
There will also be a networking event on Wednesday, from 4:00pm – 5:00. Attendees & Exhibitors are invited to join all the Show Sponsors for drinks and hors d’oeuvre
The Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management Show & Conference brings together a wide range of trade associations including;
With a mission to educate and inform, Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management Show & Conference serves varied markets and professions, for example;
Whether you are exploring Smart Energy Tips for Facility Managers and Practical Action Steps to Reduce Your Energy Operating Costs; or are concerned about the Top Security Threats for Facility Managers; or you want to learn about the basics of Commissioning Control Systems, the Northeast Buildings & Facilities Management Show & Conference is the place to be! Mark your calendars for June 13-14 and register at http://proexpos.com/NEBFM.
Earning a college degree is a great way to advance your career. According to the Georgetown Center for Education and Work, in most cases, more education results in more opportunities and higher pay.[1]
Often times, however, the time and expense of going back to school is great and can appear to outweigh the advantages. Degree programs take several years, and thousands of dollars to complete. Still, it is possible to gain the skills and knowledge you need to advance in your career without earning a degree and, more importantly, without falling behind on your other responsibilities.
Following are five things that you can do to get ahead in your career in less time and for less money than a conventional degree program.
1.Build Your Skills
There are a number of jobs that require the mastery and practical application of essential skills, jobs such as electrician, welder and machine tooling. Acquiring new skills, or improving ones you already have can help you to advance in your current job, or open the door to a whole new career.
As you think about your next steps, conduct an inventory of the skills you currently have and what is needed for you to take the next step.
A workforce training and development program can provide you with the skills you need and prepare you to advance you to the next level in your career.
2. Show What You Know
There is a lot of talk these days about credentials. A credential let’s an employer know what knowledge and skills you have to offer. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is one way to earn credentials. But you can also earn credentials by completing a certificate program. And, unlike a bachelor’s or master’s degree, which can take many years, most certificates can be completed in less than one year.
Certificates are one of the fastest growing post-secondary credentials in today’s job market. When looking for a certificate program, look for one where the skills gained align with the requirements of the job you seek. Also, look for programs led by knowledgeable faculty, who are experts in their field. Their expertise will not only give you the knowledge you need, but will ensure that your program meets the latest industry standards. Finally, look for certificate programs that give you the skills you need right away, as well as the skills you need for long-term advancement, skills such as communication, problem-solving and leadership.
Live and Learn
Adult learners are the fastest growing population on many college campuses. A number of colleges and universities have adjusted their program offerings to accommodate the needs and busy schedules of adult learners, many of whom are balancing work and family life along with school.
Convenient evening and weekend classes are just one example of the accommodations being made so that adult learners don’t need to take time off from work to return to school. Online and satellite locations make it possible for adult learners to learn where they live and work, which makes it easier to attend classes. And, finally, the creation of student cohorts, allows even online students to be part of a learning community that offers support and encouragement throughout.
Get Help
Perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks to returning to school is the high cost of tuition. Degree programs, even part-time, are costly. Workforce training and certificate programs, however, provide a way to earn the skills and credentials you need, at a lower cost.
When looking for a workforce training or certificate program, look for one that offers a payment plan. Some plans allow you to break down the cost of tuition into smaller, more manageable payments. Also, look for scholarship opportunities. While not as plentiful as for full-time degree, programs, there are a handful of scholarships that provide assistance to students in short-term training and certificate programs. Finally, many employers and organizations such as the VA and unions, provide tuition reimbursement, particularly if the skills and knowledge acquired will help you to advance in your career. An Admissions Counselor in the program to which you are applying should be able to help you locate sources of funding.
Make it Count
Many workforce training and certificate programs are not credit bearing. This means that while you might earn continuing education units (CEU’s), you will not earn credits that can be applied to a degree should you decide to pursue one down the road. With the current push towards preparing students not only for the immediate needs of the job market, but for long-term changes and fluctuations, many colleges and universities, now offer what they call “stackable” certificates. These are programs that, while they are valuable in and of themselves, can be counted as credits towards a bachelor’s degree down the road. A stackable, or credit-bearing certificate, will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to enhance your career now, along with the credits you want to advance your education in the future.
Conclusion
To get ahead in today’s job market, you don’t need to make the long-term commitment of time and money to a degree program. Workforce training and certificate programs, many of which are offered at convenient times and locations, can provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to get ahead, in less time and at a fraction of the cost of a degree. And, the right workforce training or certificate program, will not only help you take the next step in your career, it will open the door to a life of learning.
[1] Carnavale, Anthony, and Ben Cheah. “Five Rules of the College and Career Game.” Georgetown University, Center of Education and the Workforce, 2018.