Abstract
Previous studies show that the U.S. construction industry is facing a skilled labor shortage. The increase of the average age of craft workers within the industry, change in workforce demographics, decline in career and technical education in North America, and the difference between motivational factors of new entrants and the current workforce indicate that the industry is facing long-term structural changes regarding the construction craft workforce. These changes demand the need for understanding the underlying factors that influence young people to choose a career as craft workers in construction. The goal of this study is to shed light on the motivational factors that differ across different demographic groups. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, a survey is designed to measure 1) individual's attitude, 2) subjective norms, and 3) perceived behavioral control. A national survey was conducted involving 778 completed questionnaires. The target population for this research includes young people between the ages of 15-24 who were exposed to Career Technical Education (CTE) or participated in construction training programs. The statistical analysis shows that if young people have some work experience in construction-related jobs, it can significantly improve their intention to choose a career in the construction industry. Also, some differences in components of attitude were found based on demographics. The results of this study will help the North American construction industry to gain more insight on how to attract young people to the industry.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | 6th CSCE-CRC International Construction Specialty Conference 2017 - Held as Part of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017 |
Pages | 1477-1486 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781510878419 |
State | Published - 2017 |
Event | 6th CSCE-CRC International Construction Specialty Conference 2017 - Held as Part of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017 - Vancouver, Canada Duration: May 31 2017 → Jun 3 2017 |
Publication series
Name | 6th CSCE-CRC International Construction Specialty Conference 2017 - Held as Part of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017 |
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Volume | 2 |
Conference
Conference | 6th CSCE-CRC International Construction Specialty Conference 2017 - Held as Part of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017 |
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Country/Territory | Canada |
City | Vancouver |
Period | 5/31/17 → 6/3/17 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© CSCE-CRC International Construction Specialty Conference 2017 - Held as Part of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference and General Meeting 2017.All rights reserved.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction