UTA, Lockheed Martin create innovative work experience program for students
Students at The University of Texas at Arlington will receive valuable hands-on learning opportunities to advance their academic and career goals through a new work experience partnership between UTA and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT).
Launched in 2021, the UTA College Work Experience Program (CWEP) will make up to $5.2 million available for eligible students to gain real-world employment skills by holding paid positions at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The unique program is the second of its kind between Lockheed Martin and a university.
“Lockheed Martin has long been one of UTA’s most valued corporate partners,” UTA Interim President Teik C. Lim said. “The College Work Experience Program will create more opportunities for our students to succeed academically and professionally while broadening Lockheed Martin’s access to these talented and diverse scholars.”
CWEP will operate through UTA’s Lockheed Martin Career Development Center, with a first-year goal of 75 student participants and capacity to expand to 300 students by the third year, according to Career Development Center Director Lolin Martins-Crane.
“One of the most important things we can do is create a pipeline of talented students for employment at global organizations,” said Martins-Crane. “Our ability to partner with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to help drive the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington economy is very important. I’m excited about the potential to grow this model and make an even greater impact in North Texas.”
Although CWEP jobs will primarily target engineering and business majors, students from all disciplines and academic classifications, including graduate students, may apply, provided they meet the criteria. Work experiences will encompass a minimum of two semesters but may span a student’s entire UTA tenure.
“By giving UTA students real-world experience through the CWEP program, we’re helping develop the next generation of talent our industry needs right now,” said Monet Nathaniel, vice president of Human Resources at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We’re proud of this partnership and look forward to welcoming the best and brightest from UTA to join us as we solve complex challenges and help keep our nation safe.”
The program will also fund a coordinator to manage the application process and screen top candidates. Hiring managers at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will conduct interviews and make the final selections. Lockheed Martin has successfully partnered with the University of Central Florida on a similar program for the past 40 years.
CWEP is one of numerous UTA initiatives designed to increase meaningful engagement between the University and the corporate community. It also aligns with UTA’s Maverick Advantage program, which prepares students for careers through experiential learning opportunities. Lockheed Martin is the No. 1 employer of UTA graduates, with more than 2,100 working at facilities worldwide, including large concentrations at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth.
The corporation’s $1.5 million naming gift in 2017 has enabled the Lockheed Martin Career Development Center to expand and improve its facilities and increase programming and participation. The center serves 25,000 students and holds over 600 events and experiences for students and alumni each year.
Lockheed Martin’s longstanding partnership with UTA also includes philanthropic support for diversity programming and other initiatives in the College of Engineering as well as funding for the Goolsby Leadership Academy and faculty excellence in the College of Business.
***
About The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is the fourth-largest institution in Texas. It is one of 131 universities nationwide to receive the R-1: Doctoral Universities—Very High Research Activity designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the definitive list for the top doctoral research universities in the United States. In 2021, UTA received the Texas Tier One designation reserved for the state’s top institutions for academic and research excellence. The University ranks No. 1 nationally in the Military Times’ annual “Best for Vets: Colleges” list, is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, and has approximately 240,000 alumni making an impact across Texas and beyond.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.