Enhancing Construction Workforce through Joint Education and Industry Efforts: A Collaborative Co-Teaching Model
Year: 2024
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaboration between secondary (high school) and post-secondary (college or university) education institutions and construction industry professionals aimed at boosting the construction workforce.The paper seeks to address the shortage of skilled workers in construction and to drive an increase in the construction workforce by connecting faculty and industry to provide students with practical, real-world experience and to ensure that the skills they learn are relevant and in-demand in the industry.Wyoming added 5,672 jobs in 2018, with the construction industry accounting for more than half of the increase.This positive feat may be unsustainable going forward due to a projected decrease in high school graduates between 2020 and 2030.Thus, the state has created construction education programs in high school Career and Technical Education and community college which are supported by the Associated General Contractors of Wyoming and have teamed with the University of Wyoming to provide a pathway from secondary to post-secondary education and, eventually, a bachelor's degree in Construction Management.The program's unique feature allows students to acquire construction industry experience while continuing their education.A pilot program promoting educational collaboration across various educational institutions in the state of Wyoming was implemented using Zoom Meetings and Meeting Owl Pro technologies.The findings provide insight into connecting secondary and post-secondary construction education and training programs to meet career demands.A follow-up study is currently being conducted to re-test the methodology employed in the initial piloted study, in which three instructors of record and six industry practitioners from various institutions were connected via the adopted video conferencing technologies (i.e., Zoom Meeting and Meeting Owl Pro).
Authors: John Annor, Francois Jacobs
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: University of Wyoming
OpenAlex ID: W4391577304