Investigation into the Relationship of Construction Engineering and Management Education with Specialty Trade Contractors

Lean construction theory proposes a servant leadership model for project organizations in which the individuals who perform the physical work are supported by design engineers and project managers, acknowledging that value is only added in the construction process when materials are converted into improvements. The LastPlanner system of construction task planning and coordination proposes that trade foremen are in the best position to determine task durations, coordinate sequencing, and promise completion commitments. Consistent with lean thinking to involve trades in management, this paper focuses on the importance of specialty trade contractors and their foreman who supervise most of the physical construction work, especially in the commercial construction sector, by investigating the relationship between construction engineering and management education and specialty trade contractors. This paper promotes an increase of employment within specialty trade contractors by bachelor-level, construction engineering and management graduates by bringing attention to the significant opportunities available for students with specialty trade contractors, both as field supervisors and project managers. A survey of 148 construction students at five universities and 60 industry professionals representing 34 specialty trade contractors shows that additional exposure to specialty trade contractors can result in greater employment opportunities within this vital component of the construction industry. This research also reveals that construction management and construction engineering students have an interest in employment with specialty construction firms and that the specialty construction sector desires greater inclusions of academic content related to their work as part of university construction curricula. Furthermore, a road map of improvements is proposed that construction engineering and management programs could follow in order to encourage more of their students to seek future employment within the specialty contractor sector.