Industry Expectations From New Construction Engineers And Managers: Curriculum Improvement

In an era of unprecedented technological advancement and economic expansion, construction practice continues to evolve but construction education has not changed appreciably since the 1990s. This schism has prompted industry, government, and other key constituents to question the relevancy and efficacy of current programs. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Engineering Criteria 2000 and the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) emphasizes outcomes over process, and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to help universities define educational goals and objectives and design a curriculum to meet the desired outcomes . While the need for curriculum modification has been acknowledged, the “industry position” was amorphous and anecdotal and therefore difficult to address. Qualitative methodologies such as formal surveys and structured interviews can be used to capture and quantify industry expectations of the needed attributes (i.e., knowledge, skills, and experience) for entry level construction employees. Such instruments can provide key data useful in determining objectives and designing curricula to attain those objectives. This paper presents results of a formal survey of thirty five Atlanta based construction companies concerning the perceived importance of important attributes related to the ABET and ACCE Program Outcomes and Assessment categories. This study provides important information and feedback from the construction industry to initiate a continuing and evolving process for construction curriculum improvement.