Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction, announced today that Retired U.S. Army Captain Darren Amick, who works for the company’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals business, has received an “Outstanding Contributor of the Year” award from the Society of American Military Engineers, the premier professional military engineering association in the U.S. Darren has worked for Bechtel for eight years after a 21-year distinguished career in the U.S. Army. He is currently Bechtel’s general services superintendent at the Baytown Complex in Texas.
Darren is credited with spearheading efforts to allow transitioning military veterans and reservists to receive credit for the critical training they gain while on active duty when searching for positions in the private sector. This transfer of credit allows veterans to be more competitive as job candidates in the construction industry. With the support of the Bechtel veterans’ employee organization known as BSERV, and the U.S. Gulf Coast’s credentialing body, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, Darren’s efforts have resulted in many transitioning veterans and reservists securing higher income and more specialized positions within the construction industry.
Upon receiving the honor at the society’s annual Joint Engineer Training Conference earlier today, Darren said “I am truly honored to have received this award from the Society of American Military Engineers and I humbly accept it on behalf of all of our nation’s veterans and reservists. I want to also thank all of my colleagues at Bechtel, members of the U.S. military and the National Center for Construction Education and Research. With the support of these organizations, many of our proud veterans and reservists now have an easier time transitioning into the private sector.”
Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel, added ““Darren’s efforts are instrumental in ensuring that our nation’s veterans and reservists have improved opportunities to be selected for construction trades in accordance with their interests and experience gained in the military. Our veterans and reservists are critically needed in our nation’s labor force and possess skills required to address the productivity challenges of complex projects.”
Bechtel is actively supporting a construction industry initiative to hire more than 100,000 veterans. Furthermore, the company has served as a long-time sponsor of Helmets to Hardhats, which supports employment opportunities for U.S. military veterans and reservists as well as of the Network of Champions, a consortium of companies which assists injured veterans and their families with career opportunities. Bechtel actively recruits and retains top talent from all the service branches.
