Young Talent Motivations to Pursue Craft Careers in Construction: The Theory of Planned Behavior
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 7
Abstract
Past studies indicate that the US construction industry is facing challenges to attract young talent to pursue craft careers. The main goal of this research is to understand the underlying factors that influence career selection of the next generation of craft workers in order to help the industry overcome those challenges. The authors designed a survey based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The survey was distributed across the US among individuals between the ages of 15–24 who were exposed to Career Technical Education (CTE) or participated in construction training programs. A total of 778 completed questionnaires was received. The statistical analysis shows that having work experience in construction-related jobs can significantly improve intention to choose a career in the industry. There is also a strong correlation between self-confidence and intention. A multivariate regression model is created to understand the relative importance of components of attitude towards working in construction. The results of this study helped the researchers make several recommendations on how to attract the next generation of craft workers to the industry.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the generous research support of the National Center for Construction Education and Research, the Construction Industry Institute, the Construction Users Roundtable, and Ironworkers/IMPACT. Without their involvement and expertise, this research would not be possible. The research is being conducted under the auspice of CII RT-335 (Improving the US Workforce Development Systems). The opinions expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not reflect the view of the funding agencies.
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 14, 2019
Accepted: Jan 31, 2020
Published online: May 13, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Oct 13, 2020
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