At HGC Construction, our co-op program is more than a learning opportunity. It’s a pathway. For many team members, co-oping here becomes the foundation for a long-term career built on ownership, growth, and trust.
For Project Engineer Hank Wainscott, that experience began in January 2024 and continued through six consecutive semesters before transitioning to a full-time role in December 2025.
When Hank Wainscott met the HGC Construction team at the Northern Kentucky University Fall 2023 career fair, he didn’t know much about the company.
That initial connection led to six consecutive semesters working alongside HGC project teams and eventually a full-time offer as a Project Engineer.
During his co-op, Hank supported both the Estimating Department and active jobsites, including 7 W 7th Apartments in Downtown Cincinnati and Kings High School. Staying on long-term projects gave him the opportunity to see how work evolves from early planning through field execution. This is something many people don’t experience until much later in their careers.
The transition from co-op to full-time came with more responsibility.
“I gained more ownership over activities I was already helping with,” Hank explains. “I was able to take on more technical responsibilities.”
Being involved in site logistics and sequencing strengthened his understanding of how construction unfolds in real time. Instead of viewing drawings as static plans, he learned how they translate into coordinated field execution.
Another defining part of his co-op experience was balancing work and school. While working full-time on the 7 W 7th project, Hank attended classes in the evenings, often leaving the jobsite early to make it on time. The flexibility HGC provided allowed him to graduate a semester early while gaining nearly two years of hands-on experience.
One of Hank’s proudest moments came during punch walks at 7 W 7th. While preparing for punch walks, he identified an opportunity to get ahead of potential review items. He conducted a detailed pre-walk focused on a specific scope, documenting conditions in advance so the team could address them proactively. That early coordination allowed the team to stay organized, streamline final walkthroughs, and maintain alignment with owner expectations.
For Hank, experiences like that reinforced an important lesson: attention to detail and initiative can have a meaningful impact on a project.
Looking back, he encourages future co-ops to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“Take a deep dive into the drawings and details,” he says. “Understanding constructability and sequence will give you a better grasp of what’s actually happening on the project.”
Today, he manages submittals, RFIs, subcontractor coordination, and field documentation. Tasks that once supported the team now fall under his direct responsibility, requiring both technical understanding and consistent communication.
Much of his confidence, he says, came from working closely with subcontractors and learning how projects function day-to-day on the jobsite.
What began as a single co-op offer turned into six semesters of growth, field experience, and increasing responsibility. Hank continues building on that foundation as a full-time Project Engineer, contributing to complex projects and developing the skills that will shape his long-term career.
HGC Construction is a trusted construction partner with a century-old legacy. We specialize in construction management, design build, specialty trades, historic preservation, new construction, and restorations. We build at all levels of complexity across diverse market segments. Our capabilities are defined not only by what we do, but by how we do it—through grit, integrity, and an unrelenting commitment to doing it right.