Opportunities and Challenges for Young Talent in Construction
Construction is a complex and, at times, risky industry. It involves modern and sophisticated equipment and the construction site environment poses risks to an individual’s well-being. Young people in construction continue to be an important demographic within the Professional Construction Industry. However, it is still a largely untapped market that presents a great opportunity for future growth. One of the key challenges in targeting and reaching young talent is that there are no clear career paths or “front doors” into this profession. The decision-making process as to whether or not to pursue craft careers relies on a number of factors including social norms and skills beliefs, personal interests, and prior experiences with relative industry sectors. Construction sites can be hazardous for those who do not understand all the risks and how to avoid them. Looking at the statistics, the current population of the United States is 64 million people below age 34, representing nearly 27% of all Americans. Of this young talent, those that are interested in pursuing careers in construction make up 10%. Demographic information for this sample included sex, age, ethnicity, education and employment status. This sample consisted of 431 individuals who are between ages 18-34 (Minooei, Goodrum, & Taylor, 2020). The sample was randomly selected from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) 2007-2012 protocols and surveyed by computer-assisted telephone interviews in English or Spanish.
In general, the results of my study showed that a significant percentage of participants desired to pursue careers within construction management and sales. The results also suggest that participants, who have had previous experience with construction work, either through internships or volunteer work, are more likely to pursue careers in the field. In addition, the study found that motivations for entering this field vary widely, with some participants citing job security as a primary driving force and others just wanting to help out their family or community. Individuals want to choose what is best for their careers. We all know that; as it has become a common belief, however, there is a great disparity between what we want for ourselves or for our careers and how much effort we actually put towards achieving our career goals. This article deals with the application of Theory of Planned Behavior to understand why young people choose craft careers over other more traditional career paths such as regular work in a company (Minooei, Goodrum, & Taylor, 2020). It also addresses why youth approach the construction industry differently than other industries and what the elements of motivation are that account for this difference. The Theory of Planned Behavior can be used to help you make a decision. If you want to start exercising regularly, for example, or quit smoking, or lose weight, or learn some new skill that will benefit you in the future, knowing the reasons why people don’t do what they know they should do can help you in your quest. Theories and models of behavior help us understand why we do what we do. They are useful in planning, predicting, and evaluation of any action or course of action.
The biggest take-away from this study was figuring out how to present the different motivations that participants stated as reason for pursuing a career in construction. For example: “I want to be able to provide for my family” vs “I am helping my Uncle in his business”. As you can see these are two very different reasons for wanting to pursue a career in construction. In order for young children to succeed in this field, employers and educators should consider presenting a more holistic perspective on why young people want to enter the construction industry (Minooei, Goodrum, & Taylor, 2020). Another issue that was raised in this study was how work-family interference can affect decisions to enter the construction industry. There were many cases where participants commented on the amount of time spent away from family due to their job.
The article entitled “Motivation Related Beliefs and Career Choice: The Case of Construction Careers”, addresses how motivation relates to choosing a career path early in life and how this affects professional choice later on. It does not state why one person chooses construction over another industry but rather it explains how a belief about motivation affects career choice in the future. In this study, the sample size was 160 individuals and all participants were already in their careers. The researchers took data from college students who were either currently working or had worked in construction industries over the past two years (Minooei, Goodrum, & Taylor, 2020). It was found that students have a tendency to have low perceptions of self-efficacy and high perceptions of outcome valence towards these careers and they wanted to verify that they were correct in their reasoning.
The author of the article “Young Talent Motivations to Pursue Craft Careers in Construction: The Theory of Planned Behavior” compiled information from interviews with young workers in the construction industry. The article found that while some had a past connection to the construction industry, others did not have any connections to the industry at all. The author’s findings are that many of these young workers are motivated by the chance of being able to work with their hands, while others want an opportunity for advancement and growth in their careers. Some were drawn to specific positions within the construction field because they felt it would be satisfying or enjoyable for them, some wanted promotions or more responsibility, while some needed a way to support themselves or their families (Minooei, Goodrum, & Taylor, 2020). The author suggests that to bring in more young workers, people could try placing ads in local schools and recreation centers. Also, the author concluded that construction companies should look into creating apprenticeships for young workers, so they would be trained for their position.
Reference
Minooei, F., Goodrum, P. M., & Taylor, T. R. (2020). Young Talent Motivations to Pursue Craft Careers in Construction: The Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146(7), 04020082.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
