Page 36 - Colorado Construction & Design
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 DU Students working together building a playhouse.
Focused on the full life cycle of the built environment from real estate development, to planning and entitlements, to design phase management, to building systems and construction management, to asset and property management, all seeded in a triple-bottom- line sustainability perspective, DU’s programs include bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.
“Our undergraduate program exposes students to
the full breadth of real estate development, project delivery, and long-term asset management strategies,” she continues. “Our graduate programs are designed for industry professionals who are interested in enhancing their knowledge and perhaps are ready to explore a different direction in their careers.”
DU Students learning the business and science of building.
Combining the concentrated rigor of higher education with first-hand exposure to both the business and science of building, Burns School students participate in a wide range of industry-related competitions including the regional and National ASC competitions, Solar Decathlon, and those hosted by the DBIA, the National Association
of Housing Builders, the North American Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and many others.
“Beyond competitions and field trips to job sites,
we are also working toward the creation of a 21st Century construction management classroom integrating the full-spectrum of virtual technologies and teaching tools.”
36 | Colorado Construction & Design
Dr. Jackson also teaches classes in strategic intelligence and integrated teaming, meant to help bridge the gap between the old-school construction leadership of the Baby Boomer generation and the tech-forward revolution being propelled by Millennials and Zoomers.
“Historically, as an industry, we’ve become very good at construction management, but as a whole, the industry hasn’t been great at embracing and managing change,” she says. “The program we are putting forth
is about more than just the nuts and bolts, dollars and cents. It is about preparing professionals for a dynamic career in a dynamic industry on the leading edge of technology. We need to stay ahead of trends and upgrade educational processes to prepare students well beyond the basics of budget, schedule, quality, and safety. Teaching finance, leadership, and change management will lead to better business and a better built environment for everyone.”
As the Executive Director of the Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado, (CITC), Cori
Gerlitz has had a
hands-on role in construction education for nearly a decade. First created
in 1988, the CITC serves as a unifying force in workforce training among the Colorado chapters of five different trade associations - Associated General Contractors, Associated Builders and Contractors, Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of Colorado, and HVAC & Mechanical Contractors Coalition.
   Cori Gerlitz
“I love talking to students in high schools and anyone else interested in a career in construction trades,” says Gerlitz, who was previously the Director of Safety and Education at the Colorado chapter of the ABC and spent 15 years in residential building materials sales. “For many years, young people have been told that you can’t make it without a college degree. Today, we are seeing a
change and construction is starting to be recognized as a viable path to learning great skills and earning great money in an exciting, ever-changing field.”
Fundamentally programs offered by the CITC begin with the tried and true apprenticeship approach to training and presently serve some 800 students across a
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