Needs Assessment: Identifying and Addressing High School Counselors’ Perceptions of Construction Management

Abstract

Recruitment of high school student into Construction Management (CM) undergraduate programs is challenging for many United States universities. Often, only students who know someone in the industry are aware of the degree and career possibilities related to CM. A survey of 81 freshmen CM students in one CM program indicates high school counselors tended to have little or no knowledge of CM in Colorado. To gain more insight into this situation and to develop strategies to address it, a needs assessment was conducted to determine Colorado high school counselors’ current knowledge and perceptions of CM career opportunities. Responses from Colorado high schools counselors indicate a gap exists between their knowledge of CM career and degree opportunities and the level of knowledge that CM programs would like for them to possess and share with their students. Survey results also indicate that the existence of a gap in students’ knowledge of CM, along with negative perceived social norms, further limit counselors’ ability to effectively advise student about CM. The High School Counselor Outreach Program (HSCOP) was developed to provide guidance to CM departments on how to address the identified knowledge gaps based on the barriers and preferences identified.