Mechanical engineering major Ben Jones completed a co-op with Brasfield & Gorrie (B&G) and wrote about his experience.
I worked with the Core and Shell Project Management team at the Asurion Headquarters. This team is physically on the job site and makes sure subcontractors are meeting schedule and performing work according to the project drawings, coordination issues are resolved, and the owner and architect are satisfied with the finished project. Throughout my term, I assisted the project managers and assistant project managers on site. During my co-op, I participated in the RFI and submittal process, took meeting minutes during Owner-Architect-Contractor meetings, scheduled activities and managed subcontractors in the site parking garage, and scheduled and priced a small retail store build out inside Asurion Headquarters.
I enjoyed working with B&G this semester. My supervisors pushed me and gave me plenty of work to do. B&G has a great corporate culture that promotes team work and always doing the right thing. This co-op term helped me build professional skills. Every day on the job site involved conversations with coworkers, the building owners, architects, and subcontractors. Effective communication was critical. I also participated in an oral presentation at the end of my term.