Comparison of Industry Expectations and Student Perceptions of Knowledge and Skills Required for Construction Career Success

摘要

Construction education is designed to prepare students to work efficiently in the construction industry after graduation. Due to the inherent complexities of the construction industry and constantly evolving technologies, industry expectations of new graduates are continually changing. The purpose of this study was to compare industry expectations of recent graduates with student perceptions of requisite knowledge and skills for professional success. A survey was conducted among prospective employers and students near ing graduation to classify the expectations and the perceptions. Survey data was analyzed using Simple Relative Index and Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient techniques to identify the level of importance and degree of agreement between the responses of the employers and the students. Overall, the expectations of the industry and the perceptions of the students showed high agreement on required construction knowledge, but weak agreement on the necessary interpersonal skills. The findings provide important feedback for the construction programs to evaluate and revise their curricula to better prepare the students for professional success in the industry.