Investing in state-of-the-art education to strengthen a symbiotic relationship
In this blog post, we’re showcasing our collaboration with UNLV College of Engineering and the ways we support future engineers. As the nation’s premier provider of joint test, tactics, training and technology support, JT4 has a highly technical workforce. In terms of education levels, approximately 20 percent of JT4 employees have a two-year college degree, 28 percent of employees have a bachelor’s degree, and another 10 percent have some type of post-baccalaureate degree.
Given these statistics, it is no wonder that the company is a proud supporter of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the communities where it operates, thus helping to shape the next generation of engineers, technicians and analysts who will develop and maintain critical capabilities for the warfighter of tomorrow.
Nowhere is that support stronger than at JT4’s hometown institution, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). With over 130 current employees who have graduated from UNLV, it is not surprising that the university is the sixth most popular school attended by participants in JT4’s Employee Educational and Training Assistance Program (EETAP). The overwhelming majority of JT4’s UNLV alumni are graduates of the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering.
JT4 is a valued industry partner with the College of Engineering. The company collaborates on educational enrichment initiatives, sponsors awards for the Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition and works with UNLV faculty to provide valuable input into coursework development. JT4 also has several employees who volunteer on College of Engineering advisory boards.
However, the company’s most generous contribution to-date began in 2018. Then JT4 President Alan Hunter, a two-time UNLV alumnus, committed JT4 to a $500K donation (split over the lifetime of the J-Tech II contract) to the Advanced Engineering Building (AEB) at UNLV. The much needed facility will allow the College of Engineering to grow and facilitate critical research and initiatives.
“This new space will enable us to continue meeting skyrocketing enrollment demands and provide the highly skilled workforce for Nevada’s companies—like JT4—who are working on cutting-edge technologies,” says Dr. Rama Venkat, Dean of the College of Engineering.
Slated to open for the spring 2024 semester, the AEB officially broke ground in February, and JT4 was invited to participate in the day’s festivities. As a token of appreciation, the College of Engineering presented JT4 with a commemorative plaque and a bottle of wine.
The company will also have an officially named classroom in the new facility. “Our relationship with the College of Engineering is clearly a symbiotic one that benefits both organizations,” notes JT4 President Dirk Jordan. “We have a lot of talented employees from UNLV and additional exposure from the new facility will help us attract many more such individuals to our team.” One such individual is new hire Bryan Callaway.
“A company that invests in their employees sounds like it might be a great place to work,” says Bryan, a UNLV alumnus who joined JT4 in 2021 as an engineer. “But a company that invests in you before you even work for them? Now that is definitely a fantastic place to work.” Bryan first heard about JT4 while he was a student at UNLV.
After participating in JT4’s summer internship program, he knew it was where he wanted to be. “JT4 is a great place to start your career, and it’s one of few places where you can still find people who have dedicated their entire lives to the organization and its mission.” ////
