Project Administrators at Clark Contractors Pursue Bachelor’s Degrees in Construction Management at UA Little Rock
Clark Contractors, a commercial general contractor and construction manager with offices in Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas and Dallas, Texas, joined UA Little Rock’s Corporate Partnership Program in 2024 to offer employees the opportunity to start or finish their degree while they continue their careers.
Jacob Earls, senior project manager at Clark Contractors, said the partnership program felt like a natural step for the company.
“Clark has a long history with the UA Little Rock Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering programs, and a large portion of our workforce has graduated from the Construction Management program in particular,” Earls said. “It was an easy decision.”
Through the Corporate Partnership Program, Clark Contractors employees are eligible to receive a 10% tuition scholarship on all undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, as well as a $0 enrollment application fee and a $25 per credit hour scholarship.
“The scholarships are grease on the tracks to get our workforce on the right path and be able to complete something tangible they can hold on to,” Earls continued. “I really do believe it is something that makes a difference for our team members.”
Three of Clark Contractors’ project administrators, Grant Thomas, Holdyn Brown and Gus Smith, are currently enrolled at the university.
“I always planned to continue my education, but I was unsure what that path would look like until I began exploring companies that actively invest in their employees,” said Thomas, who is set to graduate in May 2027 with a degree in construction management. “Seeing the level of trust and confidence Clark [Contractors] places in young professionals starting their careers gave me the assurance to take that next step.”
Over one third of the employees at Clark Contractors are college-educated, and a majority of that percentage carry bachelor’s degrees, especially those interested in climbing the ranks to managerial roles.
Brown will graduate from the Construction Management program in Spring 2029 and has always wanted an opportunity to earn his degree. When he joined Clark in July 2025 and learned about the partnership, he quickly registered to begin classes in the fall semester.
“I have always been attracted to hands-on work, and pursuing a degree in construction management offers both an office setting and a field setting where hands-on work is required to run a successful job,” Brown explained. “I am hoping that completing the program will lead to a full-time job offer.”
Smith, also a Construction Management student, was already in the process of earning his bachelor’s degree when he joined the Clark team in August 2025, knowing that the program would help propel him toward a management position. He was drawn to Clark Contractors because of the team’s encouragement to pursue higher education and the knowledge that leadership would be flexible with his school schedule.
“I’ll be graduating this coming December, and am excited to apply what I’ve learned,” Smith said. “After all, managing construction is more than what it seems; it’s also managing people to achieve the desired outcome. That’s something I didn’t grasp until I entered the classroom, and I’ll take it with me.”
Written by Olivia Hicks