BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia University Institute of Technology partnered with some regional contractors to welcome a newly-renovated, first-of-its-kind in the state Construction Management learning space.
WVU Tech’s Construction Management program joined Jarrett Construction Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new space, which is expected to help expand the now only three-year-old program and attract more students to the construction industry.
The project was made possible through funding contributions from Jarrett Construction, as well a work crew able to get it done in time provided by Rob Moyer, the facilities manager at Tech.
Jarret Construction Services President John Jarrett, also a former graduate of WVU Tech who has been in the construction industry for 40 years, told MetroNews the school is doing a great job training educated, experienced students to enter the workforce, and the company wanted to do something to support their efforts in return.
“It’s a win-win for me and for our school in that our company is able to support a program that supports our company,” Jarrett said. 
Jarrett said out of the two graduating classes of the new program thus far, 100-percent of the students graduated with jobs.
He said their company hired a graduate from each of the two cohorts of graduates from the two previous years in the program, as well as hiring a third student from this year’s class that will get started at the company a little early in January before his graduation in May.
Jarrett said the student interest and education in the program is something the company is happy to see.
“We’ve just been delighted with the students, their knowledge, their professionalism, and their work ethic that have come to work with us after attending this program,” Jarrett said.
In addition, more students are being recruited into the construction program, as students from Point Pleasant Junior and Senior High School were in attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony and got the first tour of the new space.
Located in WVU Tech’s Innovation Building, renovations for the space included new floors and ceilings, a new paint job and wall graphics, and a new heating and cooling system.
Jarrett said a beneficial aspect about the renovations, too, is the fact that a part of the ceiling was left open so students studying construction can actually see the critical internal workings that are a major part of any building, including bar joints, light fixtures, and sprinkler systems.
He said the expanding construction management program, being the first of its kind for a four-year degree program in the state, sets the school a part from the other state colleges and universities, and is continuing to attract and retain even more students for its third year.
“It is growing, it has increased its enrollment in that program by 300 or 400-percent, and we are having to hire faculty, at least trying to hire faculty, to handle the additional students,” he said.
Jarrett said this could also help lead to the growth of the construction industry in the region, as a whole.
“The program is filling a need of construction companies throughout West Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region,” Jarrett said.