Comparing construction professionals job descriptions with university modules. Do the modules taught match the needs required?

Harris, NJ; Watts, GN

Abstract

Long before Covid19 the roles and requirements of construction professionals have been evolving. The pandemic has served to increase this pace of change. Some of these changes are temporary (although who knows for how long) whilst other changes could be here to stay. Whilst University modules are often accredited by professional bodies to ensure graduates have the skills required for industry, they are also set well in advance of delivery. Therefore, module learning outcomes often cannot be updated easily in response to rapidly changing industry demands. The problem therefore exists that graduates may enter an industry that demands skills they do not possess and does not require skills University modules have helped them to develop. The aim of this paper is to understand what the current industry requirements are of post Covid-19 construction professionals and to establish if Universities are meeting these requirements with existing modules. A failure to prepare graduates to meet the immediate challenges the industry faces could lead to a less productive and less responsive industry. This paper conducts a content analysis of the topics covered in every module undertaken from five Universities offering Professional Body accredited Construction Project Management and Quantity Surveying courses. The results are compared to a content analysis of twenty job descriptions for the same roles. The results reveal that whilst University modules do provide robust and required knowledge and experience, they do not meet all current and immediate demands placed upon construction professionals. However, for the most part modules cover broad and diverse topics that allow specific activities to be tailored to ensure most graduate skills requirements are met.

Citation

Harris, N., & Watts, G. (2021, March). Comparing construction professionals job descriptions with university modules. Do the modules taught match the needs required?. Presented at Exploring Contemporary Issues and Challenges in the Construction Industry: (CCC2021), the 5th Coventry University Construction Conference, Online

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: Exploring Contemporary Issues and Challenges in the Construction Industry: (CCC2021), the 5th Coventry University Construction Conference
• Conference Location: Online
• Start Date: Mar 17, 2021
• Acceptance Date: Feb 19, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 17, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jul 2, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Book Title: CU Construction Conference Online : Conference Proceedings
• ISBN: 9781846000980
• Publisher URL: https://wp.coventry.domains/ccc2021/?p=12
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference