Author: Jennifer Whitfield
In 2017, Bechtel opened the Welding and Applied Technology Center (WATC), a full-scale welding, testing, and construction center located in the Houston Energy Corridor. Since opening, this construction technology hub has helped attract, develop, and qualify key talent, while also delivering cost-effective solutions capable of improving quality – all within proximity to our customers.
The WATC’s state-of-the-art facility has also been utilized for a variety of professional society meetings, training collaborations, and partnerships, including one with Adaptive Construction Solutions (ACS). ACS connects veterans with employers, like Bechtel, while offering opportunities in apprenticeship programs to help veterans transition into the private workforce. The values developed in the military – agility, integrity, and unparalleled commitment – are directly aligned with the values, qualities and attributes Bechtel seeks to attract and retain. ACS and Bechtel have partnered to create the Military to Project Program (M2P).
This past April, Build Houston Magazine wrote an in-depth article titled “Blood, Sweat & Tears: Bechtel’s Military Hiring Program Takes Veterans from the Front Line to Construction”, which showcases the work Bechtel has done with military personnel through the M2P program. Since the article’s publication in April, the total number of veterans that have completed the M2P Program through the WATC has grown from 70 to 149 employees. These employees graduated from their training and were deployed onto our projects as electricians, instrument fitters, insulators, pipefitters, riggers, and tower workers.
To learn more about the WATC and the M2P program, read the full article here.
Reprinted from Build Houston Magazine, April 2018, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.