Understanding and impressions of jobs in the construction industry by young adults in Singapore

Abstract

The construction industry needs to attract fresh talent for its long-term survival. The aim of this study is to find ways to encourage young adults in Singapore to take up construction-related jobs. The objectives are to identify young adults' negative perceptions about the jobs in the construction industry, discover the barriers that prevent them from choosing a career in the construction industry, and recommend effective means to communicate with them. The research design is a self-administered online survey. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of young adults in Singapore. The results show that young adults' knowledge of the industry is poor. The significant negative perceptions about construction jobs are that they are harsh, dangerous, stressful, demanding, and masculine in nature. The most significant barrier to choosing a career in the construction industry is its erratic and long working hours. Young adults have the misconception that construction jobs do not have a high degree of autonomy. Synchronized initiatives by the government, professional associations and practitioners, and institutions of higher learning are recommended to remedy these shortcomings and reverse the decline in students pursuing construction-related higher education courses and subsequently taking up careers in the industry. It is recommended that the young adults be reached through the old media (television and print media), followed by new media (social networking sites and viral videos), because these are found to be effective means to reach them. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.