Dean on entry-level employment agreement with aerospace giant: 'It’s a win-win for Boeing, for UHCL and for our students'

Soon-to-be Arlington, Virginia-based aircraft manufacturer The Boeing Company has partnered with the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) to have students participate in design and engineering projects, Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported.

Per the station, UHCL, a member institution of the University of Houston System, is among four universities in the U.S. Boeing handpicked for an entry-level employment and internship program which engineering students can apply for. 

“Our students are being offered highly technical work experiences prior to graduation that are seldom seen in academia,” Dr. Miguel Gonzalez, the dean of UHCL’s College of Science and Engineering, said in the report. “It’s a win-win for Boeing, for UHCL and for our students.”

KPRC reported that UHCL students must meet basic engineering requirements for entry-level work to enter the new program.

Houston’s Boeing facility is working on fulfilling contracts tied to high-profile projects such as the International Space Station (ISS), CST-100 Starliner Commercial Crew Program and the Space Launch System, as well as the C-17 and other aircraft and space systems, the report said.

Gonzalez said the partnership gives students “once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.”

“We believe there will be more to come, as our partnership matures,” the dean said, KPRC reported. “These experiences will open doors for our students when they graduate, both at Boeing and elsewhere.”

According to the College of Science and Engineering webpage on UHCL’s website, it consists of over 20 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

“Beyond the classroom, internship and research opportunities abound alongside top organizations like NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, Boeing and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” the university said.

The website Investopedia reported in May that Boeing announced its intentions to move from Chicago to the suburbs of the nation’s capital.

According to the report, company officials insists that Boeing will continue to maintain “a significant presence” in the third largest city in the U.S. despite the relocation.