Interns Build Resumes with Real-World Experience (Part 1)

Four university students are getting their hands dirty – sometimes literally – as summer interns and co-op students in three of Ayres Associates’ offices.

A summer intern works from mid-May to mid-August and can be at any level in his or her college career. Co-op students work a summer and a semester and need to have at least a junior standing. The number of interns and co-op students hired at Ayres varies based on workload. Back in 2000 the company had more than 30 students on staff, with many of them doing construction observation on the 20-mile segment of Highway 29 between Elk Mound and Chippewa Falls in Wisconsin. When working in the construction observation role, students document construction workers, hours, equipment, and work performed; measure quantities; do computations; and enter those numbers into the appropriate record-keeping system. Students who don’t work on construction assist engineers with a variety of design and reporting tasks.

This year we have two interns and two co-op students on staff. Below is the first of two installments describing our current student staff and what they’re learning. Come back tomorrow for more!

Jordan Adler: Providing construction observation on Mineral Point Road in Madison is giving this University of Wisconsin-Madison senior in civil engineering the chance to experience the hands-on elements of his future profession. Jordan, a native of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, joined Ayres’ Madison office as a co-op student for the spring 2014 semester and will be on the job through August. “I have learned that it’s important to consult the plans and specs every day as they provide valuable information when it comes to the work being performed,” Jordan said. He noted that civil engineering “plays a major role in improving infrastructure, which helps to improve daily life in our towns and cities.”

Emily Harrison: Emily, pictured at the top of this post, is also providing construction observation on Mineral Point Road, a perfect fit for this University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior, as she is majoring in civil engineering with an emphasis in construction. She’s a McFarland, Wisconsin, native who took every woods, metals, and auto class available in high school and found her niche when engineering classes from Project Lead the Way were added to her elective choices. As a summer intern she’s getting the opportunity to compare specifications and plans to the way the contractor is working. “Many times contractors will do things differently than the plans suggest, and I am learning how to judge whether the changes they make are acceptable or not,” she said.

And what does Ayres Associates get out of hiring interns? Construction services supervisor Kim Ballweg notes that having Jordan and Emily out in the field frees up other engineering staff to take care of particularly challenging aspects of a project.

Internships also allow us to take a look at potential employees. As Kim noted, “They are the future of the industry, and we are training the future.”

Interested in an internship with Ayres Associates? Watch our Careers page for future openings.