I recently had the privilege of offering testimony before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) in Washington, DC related to the expansion of apprenticeship programs designed to create new opportunities. I was testifying on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national… read more
The following was authored by Scott Braddock and originally published on Construction Citizen.Every summer, MAREK celebrates employees with a graduation dinner where craft professionals are honored for reaching various milestones over the last year in the construction firm’s Workforce Development (WFD) Program. The dinner this past… read more
The goal of all craft training is to build new knowledge, skills and abilities in our craft workforce. The best way to ensure this happens is to build programs that include both passive and active forms of learning activities. Passive learning occurs during lectures, videos, readings, and demonstrations. The learner is engaged with the content but… read more
The industry has been told that the current skilled labor shortages will get worse as the economy improves, a generation of aging skilled workers retires and a new generation enters the industry. Key to that recruitment of a new skilled workforce is a well-defined and executed training program. To assist in training and development of high caliber… read more
The following article was authored by Chuck Gremillion, Executive Director of the Construction Career Collaborative.One of the questions that I am often asked when I speak to folks in the commercial construction industry about our work at Construction Career Collaborative is “When is C3 going to begin recruiting kids coming out of high school?”… read more
As anyone in commercial construction will attest, the industry has a labor shortage and a perception problem. The combination of those issues has led to an unsustainable craft workforce. Demand for skilled craft workers is greater than people looking for jobs. Baby Boomers are retiring and the millennial generation has not been attracted to… read more
MAREK is one of over 30 sponsor companies who believes and invests in providing insight into the construction industry and our future through ACE Mentor. On December 2, MAREK hosted high school students and a multitude of volunteers to Build it Forward. The concept behind the event is to allow students themselves to fundraise for ACE and… read more
On July 12, MAREK held their 2017 Workforce Development Graduation, an annual event where the advancements of MAREK employees are recognized and celebrated with a dinner, remarks from company trainers and executives, and a keynote speaker from an industry leader. Prior to the ceremony in which each graduating helper, mechanic, and promoted… read more
On Wednesday (October 26th) CEF Dallas hosted their 6th Annual “Build Your Future” Career Day. The day was a big success with a total of 60 exhibitors from the construction industry. There were 43 schools that attended with a total of 1,517 students. Marek had both an indoor and outdoor booth this year.
Our BIM department supported the team by… read more
One of the key success factors for Marek’s craft training program is the coaching component. Craft coaches must first become Coach Qualified before partnering with a trainee in the field to pass on their knowledge within a structured on-the-job training program.“It is important to learn all of the skills associated with a craft, but it is just as… read more
Earlier this summer, Marek sponsored the very first Texas A&M Summer Construction Academy, in partnership with TAMU Professor Dr. Edelmiro Escamilla, the TAMU College of Construction Science, and the GEAR UP Program.This career exploration program is part of a larger research initiative led by Dr. Escamilla’s team and designed to introduce and… read more
I’m always looking for things that are suitable to post on MAREK’s social media pages and website.One evening I was scrolling through Facebook, and I came across a post about MAREK that made me take a second and third look.This post was different. This person was no longer a MAREK employee – and yet he still feels MAREK pride and was excited to… read more
Peter Beard began his remarks by expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the coaches, mentors, and supervisors who help develop the skilled workforce, saying that Marek is a “bright spot” in addressing the critical challenge of meeting the industry’s need for skilled workers.
A tradition of excellence runs deep at Marek and at Texas A&M University. This was on full display this summer when Marek brought real world construction into the classroom for TAMU’s Construction Science 254 Materials and Methods lecture class.In the the TAMU Construction Science Department’s new Francis Hall, the Bob Segner Auditorium was… read more
Prior to coming to work for Marek, Rivas attended the University of Texas at San Antonio for a couple of years. He has worked on the Phillips 66 and MD Anderson projects during his time so far at Marek. His goals include becoming a foreman with his own crew at Marek within the next five years, and ultimately to become a project manager for Marek.
In May, eighteen Booker T. Washington High School students participated in a Drywall Clinic hosted by Marek. The Architecture and Construction Academy students worked in three teams to layout, frame and sheetrock an 8x8 room.Guided by Marek Workforce Development representatives, each student team spent the morning on layout and framing – including… read more
Three of Marek’s Houston-based emerging leaders were honored in May at the ABC Leadership Forum Graduation. Roland Mercier, Glen Blaha and Shannon Zweifel join a number of legacy Marek program grads.The event, hosted at the Houston City Club, honored 26 program graduates from a variety of both general and specialty contractors. Significant others… read more
When Lee High School’s field trip to a construction jobsite was rained out late last month, Marek brought the jobsite to the school. Twenty Construction and Architecture Academy sophomores met with a panel of Marek representatives to learn about careers in construction. Donning their Marek PPE, students participated in a stretch and flex before… read more
There’s no doubt that education looks different in 2016. Students are provided with many opportunities to try and experience a variety of careers through technical schools, career fairs and internships. Marek teammates enjoy the time they get to spend with students, answering questions and providing a glimpse into the construction industry… read more
On Wednesday (October 26th) CEF Dallas hosted their 6th Annual “Build Your Future” Career Day. The day was a big success with a total of 60 exhibitors from the construction industry. There were 43 schools that attended with a total of 1,517 students. Marek had both an indoor and outdoor booth this year.
Our BIM department supported the team by… read more
There’s no doubt that education looks different in 2016. Students are provided with many opportunities to try and experience a variety of careers through technical schools, career fairs and internships. Marek teammates enjoy the time they get to spend with students, answering questions and providing a glimpse into the construction industry… read more