USACE hosts career fair for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Published May 9, 2022
Patrick Stone, chief of Huntsville Center’s Facility Technology Integration Division, recently spoke to students at a USACE career fair for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (Courtesy Photo)

Patrick Stone, chief of Huntsville Center’s Facility Technology Integration Division, recently spoke to students at a USACE career fair for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (Courtesy Photo)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Representatives from the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville spoke to students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) about the Center’s numerous career opportunities during a virtual career fair and exposition hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

With the goal of recruiting fresh talent, the career fair offered students the opportunity to learn about and apply for civilian positions with USACE.

The two-day event included an overview of USACE’s diverse mission set, civilian employee pay and benefits, and interview and resume-writing guidance from senior Army civilians. Virtual interviews were conducted, and immediate job offers were made to highly qualified candidates with engineering and other technical backgrounds. More than 300 students participated in the event.

Patrick Stone, chief of Huntsville Center’s Facility Technology Integration Division, noted the importance of recruiting talent directly out of colleges and universities and establishing relationships with potential candidates prior to their senior years.

“With our mission ever changing, we need bright minds that have a diversity of background, skill sets, and abilities and can adapt to new challenges,” he said “Ensuring that USACE has the right talent mix and is able to attract diverse, civilian talent is critical to success.” 

This event represented part of USACE’s outreach strategy, which promotes mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships with HBCUs to enhance the Army’s future readiness. In addition to having direct access to fresh talent through its students, USACE works to maintain relationships with HBCUs to communicate the current and future needs of USACE.

 “Meeting with career services on a regular basis ensures that potential candidates obtain the knowledge required to enter the labor market ready for success,” Stone said.

Recruiting Army civilians into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math specialties is critical to Army Priorities. USACE has more than 38,000 civilian employees and, in 2021, recruited over 225 interns into STEM programs and made 3,130 direct hire appointments.  

According to “U.S. Black Engineer”, USACE was rated number four in the magazine’s list of Top Government/Non-Profit Supporters of HBCU Engineering Schools for 2021. Agencies Top supporters are companies and government agencies considered most supportive of engineering programs at HBCUs and contribute to the institutional missions of these schools.

The ongoing recruitment of diverse candidates remains a priority for the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville. In addition to the HBCU event, Huntsville Center recently participated in the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) conference, which brought both recent graduates and experienced professionals who were interested in careers supporting the Army. Huntsville Center also has plans to take part in additional conferences for Veterans, Asian Americans, Women, and the National Society of Black Engineers.