HSE in Civil Engineering Programs and Industry Expectations

Abstract

This paper evaluates the expected knowledge, skills and general competence for graduated civil engineers regarding health, safety and environmental (hereafter HSE) in Norway. The research aims at uncovering whether it is a gap between the expectations from the industry and the learning outcomes for the civil engineering program at the university. The research questions are;1.What level of knowledge, skill and competence do the industry expect from graduated civil engineers regarding HSE?2.What level of knowledge, skill and competence do the civil engineers actually possess after graduating?To get an overview of the field of research, the research was initiated by a thorough literature review. The first question is addressed with a survey and analysis of documents related to the contractors own HSE training programs. There were eight respondents to the survey and the documents are gathered from three of the largest contractors in the Norwegian construction industry. The second research question is addressed through an analysis of university study plans and other documents describing learning outcome from the civil engineering program. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (hereafter NTNU) which is responsible for over 80% of all civil engineers at masters level graduated in Norway was chosen as study object. The findings show that there is a gap between industry expectations regarding HSE knowledge, skill and general competence and the learning outcomes for the civil engineering program at the university. Still, this do not necessarily mean that the graduated civil engineers are not knowledgeable regarding HSE. This paper addresses a topic with little previous research and this study will therefore be a valuable contribution within the field of safety research.