Towards a framework for closer university-industry collaboration in educating built environment professionals (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Construction Education and Research , 2022
ABSTRACT As the world continues to experience significant and dynamic changes, the concept of graduate employability remains a well-discussed subject in the body of knowledge. Consequently, the concept has attracted the interest of educators, policymakers, researchers and graduates themselves. As a vital cog in the employability conversation, the quality of present-day graduates is highly dependent on the effectiveness of training received from higher education institutions. This formal training provides learners with discipline-specific skills (academic skills) and knowledge which helps them obtain a firm foundation in their chosen discipline or profession. This study seeks to unearth the various discipline-specific skills (DSS) that built-environment graduates need to possess to thrive in the labor market after graduation. A quantitative research approach was adopted to achieve this study’s objective with close-ended questionnaires developed and administered to built environment professionals based in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Retrieved data were analyzed using several statistical tools such as percentage, frequency, Mean Item Score, OneSample T-test and Exploratory Factor Analysis. Findings revealed four clusters highlighting the key DSS required by built environment graduates. These include lifelong learning, hands-on experience, digital literacy and knowledge of the subject area. The outcomes of this study will be beneficial to several stakeholders involved in construction education and employability skills discussion
The appropriateness of built environment tertiary education
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 2007
PurposeConstruction is a complex process which requires the co‐ordination of and co‐operation between stakeholders. Most construction projects require the skills and services of various built environment disciplines and the effective integration of these skills determines the success of the project. However, built environment students continue to receive discipline‐based education. Construction shapes the built environment; therefore knowledge and understanding, to varying degrees of depth and complexity, of an array of subject areas are one required to suitably equip entrants into the built environment arena. Furthermore, the outdated education system is challenged by academics, built environment practitioners, and media reports. The purpose of this study is to question the suitability of built environment tertiary education in terms of current trends, technologies and practices.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire developed from literature related to the diverse content, app...
The paper introduces the concept of the professional doctorate and distinguishes it from other forms of doctoral award, including the PhD. It traces the rapid development of the professional doctorate and its recent appearance within built environment schools. It notes the increasing requirement for doctoral education within the field due to the changing nature of professional work and the emergence of the concept of lifelong learning. The shortcomings of traditional doctoral education in meeting the needs of industry and the professions are discussed. The professional doctorate is presented as a more appropriate vehicle for doctoral level study by professionals and a number of programme design issues are discussed. In particular, the special arrangements required for facilitating, and assessing, doctoral-level research by full-time practitioners are explored. Based on experiences in developing a programme at the University of Salford, the paper proposes a model for a built environment professional doctorate as a basis for further discussion.
Advancement of built environment higher education through lifelong learning
2010
The mismatch between graduate skills and labour market requirements has been identified as one of the main factors behind graduate unemployment and employer dissatisfaction, particularly in the Built Environment sector, as reported by EU labour force survey 2008. This paper presents the initial conceptual ideas of a research project titled Built Environment Lifelong Learning Challenging University Responses to Vocational Education.
2014
The mismatch between graduate skills and labour market requirements has been identified as one of the main factors behind graduate unemployment and employer dissatisfaction, particularly in the Built Environment sector, as reported by EU labour force survey 2008. This paper presents the initial conceptual ideas of a research project titled Built Environment Lifelong Learning Challenging University Responses to Vocational Education. This research projects aims to modernise the Higher Education Institutions to be more responsive to construction labour market skills needs. To achieve this aim, lifelong learning concept will be incorporated within the Higher Education system where focus will be given on Built Environment programmes. The overall research methodology and the research techniques adopted are outlined in this paper. It also shares an initial literature review in the area of skills and employability and discusses the role of HEIs in lifelong learning.
ABSTRACT Considering the diversity of employment opportunities for built environment graduates, they increasingly need to be equipped with core skills that are inevitable to be able to work effectively and efficiently with other professionals in the industry. This research work evaluated whether environmental graduates are meeting the expectations of construction managers. Therefore, to establish this, construction managers examined and identified the core skills needed by graduates and their observations of built environment graduates. A questionnaire survey technique was used to obtain data. The study population comprised four major groups, namely, Architects, Builders, Quantity Surveyors and Engineers. Random sampling method was used to select the 57 construction companies and sites that constituted the sample size for the professionals. Purposive sampling method was used in selecting the 100 construction managers chosen from these groups. Data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation, rank, and T-test to reveal the significance of difference in mean. The survey results indicated that managers are generally not satisfied with the skill level of graduate students. Graduates are only meeting the expectations of construction managers in areas that managers considered to be of little or no importance. The survey also highlighted fifteen important skills that were considered to be lacking in graduates to be safety issues, practical building knowledge, trust and honesty, team work, time management, acceptance of responsibilities, academic achievements, leadership capability, problem solving, exercise of professional judgment, update professional knowledge, adaptation to changing work environments, computer literacy, numeracy, and written communication. The findings of the research have considerable implications on the training and practice of construction management in Nigeria. Acknowledging that there is always a need to improve the skill level of graduates, proposes a number of recommendations that are considered to improve the content of built environment education curricula.