Within the Graycor family of companies, developing interns and recent graduates, all commonly referred to as engineers, are a vital component of building a pipeline of talent. These engineers complete their degree in construction management or engineering and enter the workforce with a basic understanding of technical concepts and theories. The goal of the Engineer Mentoring Program is to round out their knowledge with more in-depth, hands-on experience and candid mentoring and coaching. By working with experienced professionals, engineers receive an invaluable hands-on education – they learn to understand the day-to-day workings of our business by living it and experiencing it. This becomes the foundation of their development, and helps to further the collaborative work culture that Graycor is known for.
As engineers in this program, participants have the opportunity to engage in meaningful development discussions with their mentor, advance their personal and professional skills with structured project assignments and ongoing training, attend various social and development events with other engineers and mentors, as well as make self-assessments of their progress against established core competencies. In addition to the technical skills and experiences gained from work at jobsites, these opportunities to connect with other industry professionals are key to the learning and development of engineers in the program.
Engineers also receive a full rotation between projects and departments which affords them the opportunity to experience different aspects of the construction world. While most new engineers fully intend to pursue the project management path, some may discover that they would rather pursue a career in estimating, project controls, safety, quality, or as a superintendent. In this regard, the program is specifically designed to allow engineers to pursue roles that get them excited and engaged. Additionally, engineers also have an opportunity to develop relationships with key managers and leaders while contributing to the success of exciting, state-of-the-art construction projects.
The program is facilitated and managed by an Engineer Mentoring Committee, known as the EMC. Graycor Industrial Constructors and Graycor Construction Company each have a mentoring committee made up of project managers, estimators and other leaders who either graduated from the mentoring program themselves or have in-depth experience mentoring young engineers. The EMC is responsible for interviewing and hiring engineers and also serving as mentors to ensure engineers receive the necessary experience and training to complete the program.
Engineers typically spend 18 to 36 months in this program before being considered for promotion to a new position and opportunity within the Company. Generally, individuals that are passionate about construction and seek a challenging opportunity to grow and develop professionally will excel in the Engineer Mentoring Program. Those who complete the program are then given the opportunity to serve on the EMC and/or mentor new engineers and the cycle of building the talent pipeline continues.
“We feel the investment in our EMC program not only differentiates us in the marketplace, but more importantly provides a solid foundation for the professional and personal growth of our people; it creates the right culture to enhance the construction services solutions that we provide our clients,” according to Brett Walsh, Director of Human Resources at Graycor. “At the end of the day, we are a people-driven organization and this program is a key element in helping us deliver value and consistency to our clients.”