Background: The construction industry remains male dominated, despite the efforts of business and educational institutions to attract women into construction careers. Previous research has examined why female university students study construction management or engineering. To complement this knowledge, there is an opportunity to understand why so…

Gender disparity is an enduring problem in engineering and construction (EC) areas. The main purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of female students in EC programs in the US toward factors impacting their situations and investigate barriers to their academic and professional paths. A quantitative research method was used to measure…

Purpose: This paper discusses the well-publicized labor shortages in the building trades, reviews the causes for the deficiencies, and presents prescriptions for how career counselors and schools can play a critical role in encouraging young adults to consider construction occupations. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from government…

The role of vocational education and training (VET) in preparing secondary school students for employment, further training and the changing world of work has long been a topic of interest among employers, educationalists and policymakers. More recent attention has also been on VET's role in assisting in the development of non-technical skills…

From hod-carrier to builder in his own right, Don Blackwell relates his experiences after 21 years in construction and offers advice to interested youngsters: attend vocational school; learn all you can in every related area that comes along; know theory; take pride in your work. (AJ)

Although new understandings of career decision-making processes are emerging, the prevailing rhetoric points to careers imbued with new worker attributes--flexibility, job mobility, and constant upskilling. This discussion of the pragmatics of youth career decision making draws on a series of transition studies with Western Australian youths, many…

This handbook is designed to provide educators, counselors, employment advisors, and similar personnel in the State of Washington with a handy reference to the apprenticeable trades. Concise thumbnail sketches for use in discussions and vocational counseling of individuals detail opportunities, entrance requirements, helpful school subjects, and…

This learning activity package (LAP), developed as part of a cooperative project conducted by the Fairfax County, Virginia, Public Schools in conjunction with the Virginia Merit Shop Education Foundation, is intended to assist adults who are interested in enrolling in an apprenticeship program. (The apprenticeship program was developed to recruit…

This book consists of the personal narratives of 14 women who discussed their experiences as construction workers in interviews that were conducted between November 1991 and April 1994. The information provided by the women is organized thematically, beginning with their decision to enter the construction industry. Special attention is paid to the…

The following activities were conducted to identify strategies for improving the representation of women in professional, managerial, and technical occupations in the United Kingdom's building industry: literature review; mail questionnaire to which 468 (63.8%) of the 733 women contacted responded; group discussions with 32 women employed in the…

This guide is intended to help in the active recruitment and training of women for nontraditional occupations in the skilled trades and technical fields by providing information for young women, guidance for educators and counselors, and resources for both new and experienced workers. Chapter 1 defines nontraditional jobs and spells out why women…

"Exploring Careers" is a career education resource program, published in fifteen separate booklets, for junior high school-age students. It provides information about the world of work and offers its readers a way of learning about themselves and relating that information to career choices. The publications aim to build career awareness by means…

This curriculum guide provides materials for nine courses taught in the readiness program for students 15 years of age and over who are not benefiting from education in regular educational settings. (The program is intended to identify a suitable occupational field in which students can succeed and to develop their social and emotional readiness…