By Tara DeMuth
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Even at a school with a top ranking construction management program, Colorado State University students pursuing a major in construction management have experienced extra difficulties in finding employment after graduation.
“Many jobs lost in Colorado last year were construction related,” said Kristen Haller, the key advisor for construction management. “Our department and industry have definitely been affected.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate of 9.6 percent has left 14.8 million without work. For those ages 23-27, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., the unemployment rate is 5.9 percent, while, for the construction industry, it rose to 27 percent this year.
For students majoring in construction management, the effects of the economy have been apparent.
“It scared me because I applied for 44 internships and didn’t get any,” said Kristen Gropp, a junior majoring in construction management. “It was a wake-up call.”
In a recent response to the economy, advisers in the department at CSU have made extra efforts to talk to students about realistic expectations about working in the construction industry.
“Prior to 2009 students would have six to eight interviews and job offers that included bonuses or use of a company car,” said Haller. “We have had to talk with students that this is no longer the case.”
The department has also made extra efforts to host a career fair with 65 to 90 companies in attendance, provide a full service placement office to give resume critiques and hold recruiting opportunities on the campus.
The campus and Fort Collins have also been helpful in offering jobs to students. CSU facilities, transport and the construction of buildings on the campus and in the city have offered employment.
Generally, however, many companies have been reluctant to employ new workers.
“Our company reduced over 50 percent of our employee base,” said David Steinke, the general manager of the Infinity Home Collection in Denver. “Until there is evidence that things have at least stabilized, we won’t be adding many new employees.”
According to Steinke, the success of students finding construction related jobs in this economy will depend on who they know and how they use their degrees.
“These graduates need to apply their skill set in different ways than originally anticipated,” said Steinke. “They need to be creative in their search for employment and find ways to use what they know so that it doesn’t get wasted.”
After receiving so many rejections in the internship process, Gropp personally experienced the importance of having a diverse background and connections in the industry when looking for a job.
After later declaring a minor in business and making use of her connection with Kellogg, Brown and Root, Gropp finally landed an internship and was even offered a job at KBR.
“Networking is the key to the construction industry,” said Gropp. “You have to establish yourself to get your foot in the door.”
As everyone in the construction industry looks to the future, many are optimistic that things will turn around. For now, however, those pursuing a major in construction management will continue to see the undeniable effects of the economy and the difficulties of finding work.
I liked how you were able to really stay on track with tying in the difficult economic times in the U.S. with fort Collins. You really narrowed it down when you talked about a specific major and career on campus, this brings a more personal aspect to a subject that everyone has heard about. You also had great information and statistics that bring the subject to reality.
ReplyDeleteYour side bar was also informative, but maybe add a little bit of color to attract readers.