A $1.5 million gift from Lockheed Martin will help enhance The University of Texas at Arlington's focused strategic approach to career development and preparation of skilled and accomplished graduates for high demand fields such as engineering.

In recognition of the gift, UT Arlington announced this week the naming of the Lockheed Martin Career Development Center on its campus.

"The Lockheed Martin name is synonymous with innovation, growth and success in North Texas and beyond and we are extremely grateful to the company for this generous donation," said UTA President Vistasp Karbhari. "Lockheed Martin relies on UTA to provide a highly-skilled pool of talented employees and the renaming of our Center marks a significant strengthening of this valuable partnership."

The newly named Lockheed Martin Career Development Center is a game-changing facility that focuses on helping students explore and develop their planned careers and access valuable professional guidance and mentoring, beginning in their very first year at the university.

"It is not enough for us to teach students in classrooms and in laboratories. In order to succeed in life and in business, they need soft skills and real world experience," Karbhari said. "We took input from industry and re-envisioned our career-readiness preparation programs to ensure that when UTA students graduate, they will be leaders in both their chosen fields and the broader community. Our goal is for every student to successfully complete an internship while studying at UTA."

Lockheed Martin is one of the largest employers of UTA graduates in North Texas, with more than 1,380 UTA alumni currently working at two of the company's dominant regional facilities - Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie.

"Many of Lockheed Martin's top-level decision makers, problem solvers, and innovative thinkers are UTA graduates," said Rick Edwards, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The University already has a proven track record in producing outstanding graduates who make terrific employees, and we are proud to lend our name to this Center."

The Lockheed Martin Career Development Center is a 6,000-square foot facility employing the Career Continuum Model, which helps prepare students for their careers from their first semester on campus. The Center continues engaging with students through their graduation and even after they enter the workforce. Alumni return as mentors, recruiters and potential employers, and can also benefit from the Center's networking and job placement services.

Lockheed Martin employs thousands of engineers and technologists at its two locations in North Texas and foresees large hiring needs in the coming decade. Nationwide, the industry faces a potential skills shortage as the baby boom generation reaches retirement age. UTA's College of Engineering is the third largest in Texas, and its graduate programs are ranked among the best in the nation. UTA conferred a record 11,526 degrees during the 2015-16 academic year - the third highest number in Texas.