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Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry requires many interactions between professionals of different areas. Thus, project managers in the AEC industry should have a set of management-aligned skills. International agreements and accreditation boards states the expected skills for engineering graduates, but they usually overrate technical skills. This study aims to identify the most relevant skills in management for civil engineer's education. To achieve this, a literature review was carried out and a list of 129 competencies was obtained. This list was summarized in 34 competencies, and his importance level was evaluated using a web-based survey, targeted to Chilean project managers and civil engineers. The collected skills were classified in management, technical and soft skills. According to respondents, the 34 skills described in this paper are important for the exercise of the profession. However, the most important skills in relative terms are soft skills, then management, and finally, technical skills.
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
Key Management Skills for Integral Civil
Engineering Education
https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v11i1.15259
Miguel A. Gómez (), Rodrigo F. Herrera, Edison Atencio,
Felipe C. Muñoz-La Rivera
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
miguel.gomez.f@pucv.cl
AbstractArchitecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry
requires many interactions between professionals in different areas. Thus, project
managers in the AEC industry should have a set of management-aligned skills.
International agreements and accreditation boards state the expected skills for
engineering graduates, but they usually overrate technical skills. This study aims
to identify the most relevant skills in management for civil engineer's education.
To achieve this, a literature review was carried out, and a list of 129 competencies
was obtained. This list was summarized in 34 competencies, and his importance
level was evaluated using a web-based survey, targeted to Chilean project man-
agers and civil engineers. The collected skills were classified in management,
technical and soft skills. According to respondents, the 34 skills described in this
paper are important for the exercise of the profession. However, the most im-
portant skills in relative terms are soft skills, then management, and finally, tech-
nical skills.
KeywordsAEC industry, civil engineering education, competencies, manage-
ment skills
1 Introduction
The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is characterized for
its fragmentation into many fields of specialization, each one of which takes part in the
different phases of the product lifecycle [1], [2]. Even though this fragmentation leads
to higher levels of professional expertise in every area, and improves the local perfor-
mances, the increase of parts in which the project is divided creates more and more
complex interactions between the professionals [3]. Thus, to improve the global perfor-
mance, high levels of collaboration and interactions get necessary, in order to achieve
a better understanding between every area.
Weak interactions between workgroup members can lead to deficient performance
levels, both in every project phase (design, construction, maintenance, operation, de-
construction) and at the global level in the product lifecycle [4]. Poor performance is
caused by the realization of non-value-adding activities, which generate waste to the
project (reworks, waiting times, among others) [5], and affect the entire project
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
productivity [6]. Therefore, project managers and planners should have a set of essential
management-aligned competencies [7] that allows them to maximize the product/ser-
vice value generated by their projects through a systematic waste reduction [6].
Management skills and competencies are highly recommended by the main interna-
tional accords in the engineering education context and demanded by the main accred-
itation boards. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of management, decision-
making, project leadership, interdisciplinary work, effective communication, and con-
textual empathy concepts allow the graduates to insert and participate in their projects
actively [8]. Within the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria
is stated that graduates should have a global vision of the engineering problems, con-
sidering technical, cultural, social, economic, safety, and wellness aspects; the capabil-
ity to communicate effectively, recognize their ethical responsibilities, work as effec-
tive team members in collaborative and inclusive environments; and high self-manage-
ment abilities [9]. The criteria and guidelines of the European Network for Accredita-
tion of Engineering Education state as teaching areas for engineering, non-technical
evaluation aspects, applicable to the analyses and designs in engineering, and the nec-
essary knowledge in economic, organizational, management, communication, and
teamwork issues [10].
In this context, there is an increasing offer of management training for engineers
from higher education institutions. These programs seek to strengthen the capabilities
and skills associated with project management in its many edges, covering the demand
of the companies for integral professionals [11].
As stated above, there is a large volume of competencies aligned with project man-
agement; however, there is no study that seeks to prioritize the competencies that should
be developed in civil engineering degree programs. Indeed, many of the research car-
ried out to state the skills and competencies that are fundamental for civil engineers, is
focused in identifying the differences between the accreditation institutions criteria for
the science and technology programs all over the world, and recognize if they are ap-
propriate for the requirements of the 21st-century engineering [12][17]. The most cited
accreditation institutions and boards, namely ABET, Accreditation Agency for Degree
Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics (ASIIN),
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the European Network for Accreditation
of Engineering Education (ENAEE), and Engineers Australia, have very similar criteria
[16], in particular, those related to the student outcomes. However, they are quite ge-
neric, as they have to apply to many engineering areas. Skills like “the ability to func-
tion in multidisciplinary teams” (ABET), “communicate effectively” (ABET), “organ-
ize and evaluate concepts and planning procedures […]” (ASIIN), “develop concepts
in team […]” (ASIIN) and “to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineer-
ing management principles, and economic decision-making […]” (Engineers Aus-
tralia), are some examples of management-aligned competencies, present in the stu-
dent-outcomes criteria of some of the mentioned accreditation boards and institutions,
for engineering programs.
Nevertheless, some researchers have observed the accreditation institutions trend to
overrate the technical competencies in detriment of the others, setting the focus in the
contents, and not in the thought process that has to be carried out by an engineer [18]
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
[20]. This can be detrimental to students, who end up their studies with a large set of
technical skills but lacking management and key transferable skills, which are essential
to their professional development and labor insertion [21]. For this reason, identifying
the most valued-by-employer skills and competencies has become a main issue, also
considering the increasing demand for non-technical or behavioral skills like oral or
written communication.
In this context, this study aims to determine which are the main management skills
that civil engineers should have, and how they can be classified, according to recent
literature. Also, we seek to evaluate what are the competencies that should be prioritized
in the formation of engineers, according to experts and practitioners of engineering
management.
2 Research Method
The present study is divided into three steps, as summarized in Figure 1. In the first
step, a literature review was carried out to gather a list of skills and competencies re-
quired for project management civil engineers. The search was mainly concentrated,
but not exclusively made in review papers (Web of Science and Scopus libraries), ac-
creditation and other engineering education boards and committees, and main confer-
ence proceedings between 2004 and 2019. The search topics were: “engineering edu-
cation”, “competencies and skills in civil engineering”, “engineering management
skills”, and “student outcomes for accreditation criteria”. As a second step, the authors
made a categorization and condensation of the list of skills and competencies. The cat-
egories in which the competencies are divided is also defined according to the literature
review. The third step consists of the design, planning, and implementation of a survey,
where practitioners civil engineers in Chile answered the level of importance of each
condensed skill. The results of the survey are latter analyzed using the Relative Im-
portance Index, as defined by [22].
STAGE RESEARCH TOO LS ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
Search for com petences in papers (Sc opus +
WoS), confer ence proceedings,
accreditation boa rds (ABET, ASIIN, ASC E,
Eng. Aust ralia), and specialized documents/
institutions (Was hington Accord, PMBOK )
(1)
Gathering of
competences List of c ompetences (unc ategorized)
Literature revie w
Literature Revi ew Condensat ion and categorization o f
competences , written according to
specialized e ducation literature
(2)
Condensation o f
competences
Reduced list of c ompetences, written
as action + context
Relative Imp ortance
Index
Design and conduct a survey to as sess the
importance of the condensed competenc es
between project management practitioners
in Chile
(3)
Competences
prioritization Pr ioritization of conden sed
competences , and of groups of
competences
Survey
Expert Judg ement
Calculation of t he RII to assess the relative
importance between the competences
Fig. 1. Research method.
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
All the collected competencies can be grouped in the defined categories, which re-
sults in a 16.81% of management skills (MS), 40.71% of technical skills (TS) and
42.48% of soft skills (SS). As expected, it can be observed a very high conceptual si-
militude between some of the competencies retrieved. Then, by expert judgment, a re-
duction process was carried out, consisting of grouping the similar competencies in just
one. According to [23], an effective competence needs three parts:
1) A verb that describes an observable action
2) A context in which the action is to be carried out
3) The acceptable performance levels
Since it is not the intention of this study to provide a scale to evaluate students, the
performance level is not included, so the competencies only consist of the action and
the context.
Then, from 129 skills, the list was reduced to 34. After the grouping of similar com-
petencies and dividing them into the three defined categories, the distribution results in
a 23.53% of management skills (MS), 35.29% of technical skills (TS), and 41.48% of
soft skills (SS). Tables 1 to 3 present the management, technical, and soft skills and
competencies, respectively, and the corresponding references.
2.1 Management skills (MS)
As stated above, management skills include all the non-technical skills directly re-
lated to the project management context. For example, “to delegate authority”, “group
creation and administration”, “human resources management”, “understanding the role
in a group”, are all individual skills related to the competence MS8 in Table 1: “Plans,
organizes and directs the efforts of one or more work teams”. Also, contextual
knowledge of the project is included in this category, with competencies MS6 and MS7.
MS6 involves the knowledge of the local population and a wide range of stakeholders’
commitments. In MS7, are grouped skills like: Project orientation”, “project
knowledge”, “to know how the project success is measured” and “to know the available
resources”.
Knowledge about business and public administration (MS3), procurement and con-
tract (MS2), forms and documents (MS4), problem-solving (MS5), and sustainable pro-
cesses (MS1) are also non-technical skills and competencies that are closely related to
project management and then included in this category.
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Table 1. Organizational and management skills
Type
Code
References
Organizational and
Management Skills
MS1
[8], [16], [24], [25]
MS2
[15], [24], [26], [27]
MS3
[8], [16], [25], [26],
[28], [29]
MS4
[24], [26], [28]
MS5
[8], [15], [16], [24],
[26]
MS6
[8], [20], [24], [26],
[28]
MS7
[24], [26], [27], [29]
MS8
[8], [15], [20], [24],
[26][29]
2.2 Technical skills
In this category are included the competencies related to the theoretical framework
of the project manager. As a consequence of this definition, all of the skills here men-
tioned can be trained in traditional expositive classes. As an example, TS12 “Under-
stand project management methods, processes and procedures”, includes knowledge in
standard up-to-date management processes, the project management context, and or-
ganizational structures. The other competencies cover knowledge in: execution of ex-
periments to processes improvement (TS1), math and basic sciences (TS2), processes
and engineering design (TS3), PMBOK 10 areas (TS4), foreign language (TS5), special
discipline techniques (TS6), use of technologies and computer software (TS7), quality
standards and norms (TS8), new techniques and tools (TS9), tools for performance as-
sessment of projects (TS10), and multidisciplinary approach to engineering (TS11).
Table 2. Technical skills
Type
Code
Competence
References
Technical
Skills
TS1
Designs, executes and interprets experiments that allow him/her
to apply the results in the improvement of processes
[8], [9], [16], [25],
[28], [29]
TS2
Selects and applies knowledge and techniques of physical sci-
ences and mathematics in engineering problem solving
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[20], [25], [28], [29]
TS3
Design systems, components or processes to solve engineering
problems
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[20], [25], [28]
TS4
Understand the processes and techniques of the ten areas of pro-
ject management knowledge (PMBOK)
[8], [24], [26], [27]
TS5
Speaks and understands more than one language, in a technical
context
[16]
TS6
Selects and applies the appropriate knowledge and techniques of
his/her discipline in engineering problem solving
[8], [15], [16], [24],
[25], [29]
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Type
Code
Competence
References
TS7
Knows and applies available computer technologies for planning
and project management
[8], [15], [16], [24],
[26]
TS8
Knows the quality standards and norms to work on
[8], [16], [24], [27]
[29]
TS9
He/She quickly adapts to the new tools available for the exercise
of his/her profession
[9], [24], [25]
TS10
He/She can analyze the performance of a project in a systematic
and judicious way
[15], [16], [28]
TS11
He/She possesses a multidisciplinary knowledge that allows
him/her to understand the project as a whole
[8], [9], [16], [28],
[29]
TS12
Understand project management methods, processes, and proce-
dures
[24], [26], [29]
2.3 Soft skills
This category includes the behavioral component expected from a project manage-
ment engineer. Local context knowledge (SS1), professional attitudes (SS2), social
awareness (SS3), long-life learning (SS4), improvisation (SS5), confidence (SS6),
feedback provision and receiving (SS7), decision-making (SS8), adequate contact for
requirements (SS9), negotiation (SS10), proactivity and creativity (SS11), team work-
ing (SS12), ethical behavior (SS13) and effective communication (SS14) are the con-
cepts that resume the condensed soft skills gathered from the literature review. These
competencies are detailed in Table 3, with their corresponding references.
Table 3. Soft Skills
Type
Code
Competence
References
Soft
Skills
SS1
He/She is constantly updated to the local context throw newspapers,
social networks, etc.
[9], [15], [16], [24],
[27]
SS2
Recognizes and demonstrates attitudes that contribute to the practice
of his/her profession
[15], [25][28]
SS3
Recognizes the impacts of engineering solutions in a social and
global context
[8], [15], [16], [24],
[26], [28]
SS4
Recognizes the importance of continuous self-directed professional
development, according to his/her needing
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[26], [28], [29]
SS5
He/She can intuit and improvise a quick solution to project manage-
ment related problems
[15], [24], [26]
SS6
Acts with confidence in the face of ambiguity, changes and adverse
situations that may arise in the directions of a project
[15], [24], [26], [27]
SS7
Accepts and provides feedback in a constructive and considered man-
ner
[15], [16], [26]
SS8
Makes decisions with confidence and prior knowledge of the conse-
quences when required
[8], [15], [24], [26]
SS9
Know who to contact in case of a question or requirement
[24], [26]
SS10
Possesses negotiation skills for conflict resolution
[15], [24], [26]
SS11
He/She is proactive, creative and innovative in problem solving
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[24][26]
SS12
Works effectively as a member or leader of a technical team
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[24][29]
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Type
Code
Competence
References
SS13
Understands and undertakes to act ethically, responsibly and respect-
fully in the personal, social, cultural and professional contexts
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[24][26], [29]
SS14
Communicates effectively and confidently both orally and in writing,
in technical and non-technical environments
[8], [9], [15], [16],
[20], [24][27], [29]
3 Survey: Relative Importance of Management / Technical /
Soft Skills
To define the most important skills and competencies, it was designed and conducted
a web-based survey, in which the respondents (project managers and Civil Engineers
practitioners), had to select an absolute importance level for every competency in a
Likert scale format ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 represents null importance, and 5 rep-
resents that the competence is imperative. To avoid respondents bias, the competencies
were not grouped in the survey, but it was only given a list of the 34 written competen-
cies.
A total of 104 complete surveys were fully answered. Background information about
respondents of the survey is presented in Table 4. Most of the respondents have more
than ten years of experience (41.35%). Additionally, 75.0% of the respondents are male,
and 25.0% are female.
Table 4. Survey background information
Gender
Respondents experience (Years)
0 to 2
2 to 5
5 to 10
10 +
Total
Male
12
15
16
35
78 (75.0%)
Female
7
6
5
8
26 (25.0%)
Total
19 (18.27%)
21 (20.19%)
21 (20.19%)
43 (41.35%)
104 (100%)
Relative importance index (RII) analysis was selected in this study to rank the crite-
ria according to their relative importance [22]. Equation 1 is used to determine the rel-
ative index:
 
 (1)
Where is the assigned weighting by each respondent (1 to 5), is the highest
weighting possible (5), and is the total number of the sample (104). The RII was
calculated for all of the 34 competencies. Figures 2,3 and 4 show the relative importance
index (RII) for all the surveyed competencies, divided into the three already defined
categories, management skills (MS), technical skills (TS), and soft skills (SS), respec-
tively.
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
Fig. 2. Relative importance index obtained for management skills
Fig. 3. Relative importance index obtained for technical skills
Fig. 4. Relative importance index obtained for soft skills
0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
MS8
MS7
MS6
MS5
MS4
MS3
MS2
MS1 Management Skills
0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
TS12
TS11
TS10
TS9
TS8
TS7
TS6
TS5
TS4
TS3
TS2
TS1 Technical Skills
0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
SS14
SS13
SS12
SS11
SS10
SS9
SS8
SS7
SS6
SS5
SS4
SS3
SS2
SS1 Soft Skills
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4 Discussion
Within the management skills (Figure 2), the most important are those related to the
organization of teams, project management, commitment management, and problem-
solving. These competencies are undoubtedly key in day-to-day civil engineering, and
it is consistent with other authors [27], [30]. On the other hand, competencies associated
with administrative procedures and processes have a lower RII, since these are more
specific to each organization, therefore, what is required is that the professional can
quickly learn the procedures of the organization. The main cause of attention is that the
competency with the lowest RII is aligned with the application of sustainability princi-
ples. This is worrying in a global world where sustainability has to be a fundamental
element in the development of engineering.
Among the most important technical skills (Figure 3) are understanding project man-
agement methods, multidisciplinary knowledge, performance analysis, and learning
new tools and technologies. Once again, there are elements associated with interaction
with different professionals, and the capacity for self-learning, elements that are very
important in a globalized and fast-moving world. The competencies with a lower RII
are those that respond to specific topics of engineering areas, so it is understood that
they are not so important for the sample of professionals who answered the survey.
The competencies of the soft skills category are those that have the highest RII
compared to the other categories. Within this category, those associated with effective
communication, ethical and respectful behavior with the environment, leadership, and
proactivity stand out. Interestingly, the competency related to respect society and the
environment has one of the highest RIIs while applying a sustainable design has one of
the lowest. This may be since the principles of sustainability are still at a strategic level
that has not been able to decant what an operational design is. Therefore, the importance
of sustainable development is highly valued at the conceptual level but has yet to be
implemented in practice. This may change as sustainability concepts are added to pro-
grams for new students. Regarding this issue, in [31] is demonstrated how a project-
based approach can develop management skills while raising awareness of sustainabil-
ity concepts in the early stages of an engineering course.
The results indicate that all of the surveyed competencies have a high relative im-
portance index, beyond 0.7. Then, all of the presented plots were scaled to start the
abscise axis in 0.7 to emphasize the differences. As it can be observed, 100% of the
competencies have a relative importance index beyond 0.7. Figure 5 shows the percent-
age of skills by category that has an RII greater than 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9, respectively. The
amount of soft skills (SS) with a relative importance index greater than 0.8 and 0.9 is
greater than the number of technical and management skills that meet the same require-
ment. Also, this same behavior makes management skills prevail over technical. This
trend highlights the fact that soft skills are seen as the key skills to develop management
and technical expertise, and also that they are the most difficult-to-train group of com-
petencies, which is consistent with the accreditation institutions trend to overestimates
technical over behavioral skills. Thus, efforts have been concentrated over the past
years into form engineers to develop technical skills, neglecting the soft ones.
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
Fig. 5. Percentage of skills over an RII by category
If a cutoff is taken in the RII of 0.9, there is no technical skill whit such relative
importance. The most important technical skills are the understanding of project man-
agement methods (TS12), and the multidisciplinary knowledge (TS11), both with an
RII of 0.899. Then, employers seek professionals with a multidisciplinary approach to
civil engineering, capable of using existent project management methods to coordinate
the team efforts. This role is more evident, considering the management skills with an
RII greater than 0.9. Indeed, to plan and organize the efforts of a team (MS8) is the
most important of this group, with an RII of 0.918, and is clearly related to multidisci-
plinary teamwork, closely followed by the contextual knowledge of the project (MS7),
with an RII of 0.916.
From the soft skills, a larger number of competencies have an RII greater than 0.9
than for the other categories. The most important skills of this group, and their corre-
sponding RIIs are: Decision making (SS8), 0.900; consulting (SS9) 0.904; negotiation
for conflict resolution (SS10), 0.908; proactivity and innovation (SS11), 0.908; effec-
tive teamwork (SS12), 0.915; ethical behavior (SS13), 0.926; and effective communi-
cation (SS14), 0.940. Again, these skills are related to teamwork and multidisciplinary
problem solving, except for SS13, which is most concerns a value system, and the emo-
tional intelligence of the engineer. Why is it so important to behave ethically, for the
success of a project? This is currently a subject of study. A recent study performed in
Pakistan shows that general fairness, quality of the treatment, and ethical behavior can
reduce the contractors’ potential to claims [32]. There is evidence that even students
see professional ethics as a key factor in their future professional development, and that
it should be included in their engineering courses [33]. Even though ethics is seen as a
key competence, there is not yet much interest in investigating its effects, both in the
construction industry and in other productive activities [34].
100%
75%
25%
100%
58%
0%
100% 93%
50%
>0.7 >0.8 >0.9
% Skills by category
RII
MS TS SS
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5 Conclusion
There were 129 competencies/skills aligned with the management that civil engi-
neers are required to hold. This list of 129 can be reduced to 34 competencies that man-
aged to classify in three groups: Management skills, technical skills, soft skills. Accord-
ing to civil engineering practitioners, the 34 skills described in this paper are important
for the exercise of the profession, being the range of RII in all cases greater than 0.7.
However, the most important group of skills in relative terms is soft skills, then man-
agement, and finally, technical skills. This can be attributed to the fact that soft skills
are the engine of change to develop management and technical skills, being the most
important TS and MS-related also to teamwork and multidisciplinary problem-solving.
Indeed, among the most important skills are effective communication, team leadership
and multi-disciplinary interaction, proactivity and self-learning, and the use of project
management tools, which can be seen as the key skills required of a project management
engineer today. To act ethically in the professional environment is also a very valuable
skill, and can help to improve the project performance, but still more research is being
necessary to clearly assess and understand the effects of ethics in the AEC industry.
This study allows civil engineering academics to prioritize the competencies that are
key to the development of civil engineering students and empirically demonstrate that
soft skills are a necessity of the professional world. The results presented herein
As mentioned in the research methodology, the survey was answered by 104 practi-
tioners, all from Chile. This corresponds to a limitation of this study, so the new stages
of this work consist of
1) Internationalize the survey, also seeking to increase the sample, and
2) Analyze other possibilities of questions in the survey, to make more visible the dif-
ferences in prioritization.
6 Acknowledgement
This research is funded by Project CORFO 14ENI2-26905 Ingeniería 2030-PUCV
and housed in the Collaborative Group of Engineering Education of the Pontificia Uni-
versidad Católica de Valparaiso. The doctoral studies of R. Herrera are financed by
CONICYT-PCHA/National Doctorate/2018 - 21180884. Muñoz's doctoral studies are
financed by CONICYT-PCHA/International Doctorate/2019 72200300. The doctoral
studies of E. Atencio are financed by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.
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PaperKey Management Skills for Integral Civil Engineering Education
8 Authors
Miguel A. Gómez is a Civil Engineer and Bachelor of Science Engineering from the
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. He is a researcher and professor at the
School of Civil Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
His current research is Structural Engineering and Engineering Education.
Rodrigo F. Herrera is a Civil Engineer and Bachelor of Science Engineering from
the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and has a Master’s in project man-
agement at the University of Viña del Mar. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Engi-
neering Sciences at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universitat
Politécnica de Valencia. He is currently professor of the courses Planning and Project
Control, Project Management”, and “Lean Project Management” at the School of
Civil Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. His cur-
rent research is AEC Technologies, Lean Project Management, and Engineering Edu-
cation.
Edison Atencio is a Civil Engineer and Bachelor of Science Engineering from the
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and has a Master’s in Industrial Engi-
neering and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial Engineering at the Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. He is currently professor courses Applied Com-
puter Science, Planning and Project Control and Preparation and Project Evalua-
tion at the School of Civil Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Val-
paraíso, Chile. His current research is AEC Technologies, Project Management, and
Engineering Education.
Felipe C. Muñoz-La Rivera is Civil Engineer a Bachelor of Science Engineering
from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and Master in BIM Manage-
ment and Ph.D. candidate in Civil Engineering at Universitat Politécanica de Catalunya.
His current research is AEC Technologies, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Pro-
ject Management, and Engineering Education.
Article submitted 2020-04-27. Resubmitted 2020-06-19. Final acceptance 2020-06-24. Final version pub-
lished as submitted by the authors.
iJEP Vol. 11, No. 1, 2021
77
... However, in the development of higher education skills, the effectiveness and importance of skill acquisition are judged solely on the basis of course content and course scores [31,32]. Through the architectural curriculum, universities provide students with basic architectural knowledge [33][34][35] and promote basic skills. Architecture graduates face severe challenges and crises in meeting the demands and challenges of individual skills in construction projects and the construction labor market. ...
... Previous research has found that these required skills include technical skills, such as hand drawing; spatial design skills [39]; computer application skills [40] and the ability to create models, as well as technical skills for multidisciplinary knowledge and learning new tools [30]; basic skills, such as creativity and motivation for learning, as well as writing tasks, verbalization, positive social efficacy [41], aesthetic values, aesthetic expression, basic knowledge, special structural knowledge, and material knowledge [42]; management skills, such as interpretation, empathy, self-confidence, negotiation skills, adaptability, professional ethics [36], team organization, project management, and communication skills [43]; and soft skills, such as time management, critical thinking, determination, patience [30], effective communication, and ethical and respectful behavior towards the environment [33]. However, there are no standardized criteria for assessing the employability skills of archi-tecture students, making it difficult to identify which job skills are better matched to the demands of the actual work. ...
... Emphasis should be placed on the integration of skills such as writing, basic knowledge, and research [20,41] from the beginning of architectural studies to enable students to build a solid foundation of professional knowledge and skills during their university studies, not only in the postgraduate context. Secondly, in addition to the cultivation of professional hard skills, university education must focus on improving students' soft skills and the cultivation of their comprehensive personal abilities [33,45] and begin to pay attention to students' physical and mental health factors to maintain a work-life balance by considering aspects such as emotional stability (C3) and physical fitness (C7), which have been less reported in previous studies. ...
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With the current downturn in the real estate and construction industries, the construction job market is saturated, and architects are facing an urgent employment crisis. Architectural education should understand the skill requirements of individuals in the labor market and make adjustments accordingly. This study examines the evaluation of and demand for skills from the perspective of employers. A research questionnaire was constructed based on the Kano theoretical model and distributed to 810 practitioners, and the results were analyzed. The results of the data analysis of demand attributes, importance, and group differences showed that the construction industry pays the most attention to strengthening professional soft abilities, while improving personal comprehensive abilities and maintaining professional hard abilities can support architects in maintaining strong competitiveness in the job market. Furthermore, different groups and regions have different needs for architectural skills. The cultivation of skills in colleges and universities must be targeted. This study provides an adjusted direction for architectural education and training and also provides guidance for architectural practitioners in improving their skills and expanding their career development with the trend of industry saturation.
... En el contexto chileno, Gómez et al. (2021) identificaron habilidades necesarias para los egresados de Ingeniería Civil, como organización de equipos, gestión de proyectos, conocimientos multidisciplinares, comunicación eficaz, comportamiento ético y liderazgo. Este estudio, junto con el de Pant & Baroudi (2007) resaltaron la importancia de habilidades sociales junto con habilidades técnicas y de gestión. ...
... Comunicar ideas y conocimientos claramente, oralmente o por escrito, para que el receptor entienda sin distorsionar el objetivo (Gómez et al., 2021). ...
... Actitud de tomar la iniciativa y anticiparse a las necesidades y desafíos (Gómez et al., 2021 técnicas y profesionales para desempeñarse con éxito (Gómez et al., 2021). ...
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En construcción, es crucial que el personal de dirección de obra tenga habilidades esenciales para una gestión eficiente. La falta de estas habilidades puede llevar a problemas como incumplimientos de plazos y presupuestos, baja calidad en las obras y riesgos laborales. Esta investigación presenta un estudio de caso exploratorio en una constructora dedicada a mejorar viviendas sociales, buscando identificar las habilidades clave que debiesen tener los administradores de obra. A través de un análisis cualitativo, que incluyó revisión de literatura y entrevistas semiestructuradas con 6 gerentes, 24 trabajadores y 24 vecinos de 4 proyectos, se identificaron 15 habilidades clave. Entre ellas destacan liderazgo, habilidades interpersonales, comunicación efectiva y planificación. Sin embargo, se observó un sesgo por parte de la gerencia, que no consideró algunas habilidades valoradas por vecinos y trabajadores. Por medio de un análisis del Índice de Importancia Relativa (IIR) se mostró que los administradores sobresalían en aceptar la responsabilidad y trabajo en equipo, pero tenían un desempeño menor en conciencia ambiental y centrarse en la salud y seguridad. Este estudio aporta conocimientos para mejorar la gestión de proyectos de vivienda social, buscando mejorar la formación y desempeño de los administradores, impactando positivamente en la comunidad.
... Besides, Gomez et al. (2021) introduced an apprenticeship model emphasising more on management, technical and soft skills of construction supervisory workers based on the construction industry's perspective in Chile. Notably, the emphasis on the supervisory competency categories stated by Gomez et al. (2021) was almost existing in the apprenticeship model developed by Izwan et al. (2019) based on the perspective of the Malaysian construction sector, further highlighting the need for attention on the competencies related to communication, team leadership and multi-disciplinary interaction, proactivity and self-learning and the use of project management tools in modern construction supervisory apprenticeship models. ...
... Besides, Gomez et al. (2021) introduced an apprenticeship model emphasising more on management, technical and soft skills of construction supervisory workers based on the construction industry's perspective in Chile. Notably, the emphasis on the supervisory competency categories stated by Gomez et al. (2021) was almost existing in the apprenticeship model developed by Izwan et al. (2019) based on the perspective of the Malaysian construction sector, further highlighting the need for attention on the competencies related to communication, team leadership and multi-disciplinary interaction, proactivity and self-learning and the use of project management tools in modern construction supervisory apprenticeship models. In light of the construction industry in the European Union countries, the apprenticeship tool of Akyazi et al. (2020) draws attention to the need for addressing a variety of supervisory abilities under the following listed categories to recover from the effects of the global financial crisis of 2007-2008 and meet the challenges posed by digitalisation, sustainability and environmental regulations: ...
... Based on the current study findings, competency-based new characteristics and conceptual applications connected to performance and productivity enhancement can be added to the apprenticeship models presented by Izwan et al. (2019), Akyazi et al. (2020) and Gomez et al. (2021). Importantly, modern conceptual practices can be added to enhance the multi-disciplinary interaction practices and the application of project management tools in the use of such supervisory apprenticeship models. ...
Article
Purpose The sustainability of the construction industry is associated with the productivity, profitability and competitiveness of the firms, which are significantly affected by inefficient site supervision and labour management approaches. This study aims to use a case study with mixed methods to evaluate the site supervisory characteristics in labour management, labour performance assessment and labour productivity measurement towards developing meaningful guidelines in polishing construction supervision attributes. Design/methodology/approach Well-developed modern apprenticeship elements were applied to 62 construction supervisors who were selected using the snowball sampling method, and their relevant competency characteristics were assessed using a comprehensively developed grading mechanism connected with useful training manuals/tools. Academic reviews, experts’ consultations and other meticulous mixed approaches were applied at different stages of the research plan’s sequential layout. Findings The mean performance scores of supervisors indicate proficient-level grades in the competency characteristics related to applying efficient labour management procedures and developing-level grades in designing productivity measurement tools, performing assessments on efficiency and productivity and proposing enhancement practices on efficiency and productivity for site operations. The findings point to a modern generalised guideline that establishes the ranges of supervisory attributes within the scope of the study. The validity, reliability, adaptability and generalisability of the findings were assured by using pertinent statistical tests and professional assessments. Research limitations/implications Though the study’s conclusions/findings are primarily applicable to the construction environment of a developing country comparable to the Sri Lankan context, they will considerably impact current/future industrial practices in various other countries and emerging industries. Originality/value The research has produced a conceptualised modern tool that guides determining the capacity levels of supervisory attributes for carrying out labour management, labour performance assessment and labour productivity measurement aspects in construction. The research has opened a pump that inflows new values of highly workable supervision features for strengthening the site management structures and filling the industry’s knowledge vacuum in the methodical execution of apprenticeships.
... Al igual que lo encontrado por otros autores, se evidenció empíricamente una preponderancia (Me=5) de tres habilidades: comunicación (10,(17)(18)(19)(41)(42)(43)(44), pensamiento crítico y competencia emocional (41). Sin embargo, otros investigadores también han encontrado la creatividad (10,17,43), el liderazgo (41,(43)(44)(45), la productividad, el autoaprendizaje (41) y la interacción multidisciplinaria en equipos de trabajo (10,18,41,44). ...
... Al igual que lo encontrado por otros autores, se evidenció empíricamente una preponderancia (Me=5) de tres habilidades: comunicación (10,(17)(18)(19)(41)(42)(43)(44), pensamiento crítico y competencia emocional (41). Sin embargo, otros investigadores también han encontrado la creatividad (10,17,43), el liderazgo (41,(43)(44)(45), la productividad, el autoaprendizaje (41) y la interacción multidisciplinaria en equipos de trabajo (10,18,41,44). ...
... Al igual que lo encontrado por otros autores, se evidenció empíricamente una preponderancia (Me=5) de tres habilidades: comunicación (10,(17)(18)(19)(41)(42)(43)(44), pensamiento crítico y competencia emocional (41). Sin embargo, otros investigadores también han encontrado la creatividad (10,17,43), el liderazgo (41,(43)(44)(45), la productividad, el autoaprendizaje (41) y la interacción multidisciplinaria en equipos de trabajo (10,18,41,44). Los indicadores homólogos de estas habilidades en este trabajo (autoaprendizaje ∼ = humildad, interacción multidisciplinaria e interacción con equipos de trabajo ∼ = coordinación de acciones) no eran muy importantes para el primer empleo, pero sí constituyen necesidades para el ascenso en la jerarquía organizacional. ...
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Context: There is currently a high demand of professionals with highly developed soft skills, but there is no clarity about which ones. The purpose of this article is to determine which soft skills are required at different organizational levels in the mechanical engineering sector. Method: A survey was designed and applied to 81 mechanical engineers graduated from Universidad de Pamplona. The instrument evaluated the level of development of 10 soft skills in the undergraduate program, in addition to the level required for an entry-level job as well as for a technical and an executive position. The statistical tools employed were the bilateral Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the median, the mode, a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, and a Games-Howell post hoc test. Results: The training level regarding soft skills was found to be aceptable (Me=3), specifically for creativity, negotiation, and nonverbal communication skills, while those related to presenting before audiences, critical thinking, recognition, responsibility, integrity, and humility show greater development (good, Me=4). On the other hand, report writing, emotional competencies, and critical thinking are the most important skills (Me=5) for an entry-level job. To ascend to technical positions, those related to presenting before different audiences, the recognition of team members, and leadership are required. For managerial positions, nonverbal language, negotiation, supervision, and entrepreneurship skills are also required (Me=5). Conclusions: Written communication, emotional competencies, and critical thinking should be bolstered in order to provide alumni with higher competitiveness. As for technical and managerial positions, a higher development of the ten analyzed soft skills is needed. Undergraduate and graduate programs should include these new business requirements in their curricula in order to increase the competitiveness of their alumni.
... Moreover, the study found that the top three significant soft skills for academic performance were communication, teamwork, collaboration, and time management skills. This result is consistent with previous research that found that "communication" was a core skill in higher education and the most important skill according to students [30] [31]. With effective communication and teamwork skills, students can connect with other people more easily and present their ideas and knowledge more effectively [25]. ...
... A study by Ooi and Ting [26] showed that in the workplace, "participating as a part of a team" ranked third among the top important skills among employers. Moreover, engaging in teamwork and collaboration is known to enhance the "work spirit" and foster a "sense of belongingness" [31]. Lavender [32] suggests that for success in the workplace, employees must equip themselves with a diverse set of soft skills, including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, decision-making, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and creativity. ...
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In the present era, the importance of soft skills as a crucial element for personal and professional success is widely acknowledged. When hiring new employees, these soft skills are highly valued by employers. However, many students are unaware of the crucial role those soft skills play in their education and career success, hindering their progress in developing these skills. This study aims to assess students’ perceptions of the importance of soft skills for academic performance and career development. A questionnaire-based online survey was conducted, involving 968 undergraduate students from eight universities in Vietnam, to gather data. The findings showed that most respondents recognized the significance of soft skills in fostering positive relationships, career advancement, and securing desirable employment. However, students did not believe that these skills had a substantial impact on their academic performance. Communication, teamwork, collaboration, and time management skills were identified as the most critical soft skills for enhancing academic performance, while teamwork, collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving skills were considered pivotal for career development. Moreover, a significant portion of students perceived their soft skills level to be below the desired threshold, showing more confidence in skills they considered to be more important. Similarly, students tended to prioritize the development of soft skills that they perceived as essential to their personal goals.
... 6. Construction students should enhance their teamwork, technical, critical thinking, and communication skills as they rank higher in employment. (Hwang et al., 2014;Triyono et al., 2018;Mengistu and Mahesh, 2019;Aliu and Aigbavboa, 2019;Oroh et al., 2020;Jacobsson and Linderoth, 2021;Ibrahim et al., 2022;Ebekozien et al., 2023) (Musid et al., 2019;Gómez et al., 2021;Low et al., 2021;Mari et al., 2022;Ebekozien et al., 2023;Toyin and Mewomo, 2023) (Gao and Gao, 2015) (Ebekozien et al., 2024;Ebekozien et al., 2023) (Rajput et al., 2022) (Suparji and Limantara, n.d.; Musid et al., 2019) 7. Students' generic skills are relatively high, but can sometimes be low based on their academic condition and course program level. ...
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Higher education institutions (HEIs) construction students’ skill acquisition is critical to addressing skill shortages in the AEC industry caused by issues such as an ageing workforce accompanied by rising retirement rates and the industry’s difficulty in attracting and retaining fresh talents due to their negative perceptions of the industry. Hence, this paper conducts a systematic literature review on construction skills accessed and acquired through the HEIs, especially at the commencement of the 4th industrial revolution of 2014. Seven hundred and forty-eight articles were analysed, of which 46 were selected through the PRISMA protocols. Meanwhile, the research limitations can be attributed to using specific crucial keywords in viable but constrained databases. Results from the analysis demonstrated the authors’ prominent use of mixed research methods. Findings and recommendations focused on construction students, graduates, HEIs, professionals, clients, and the digitisation of construction pedagogy. Significant findings and recommendations highlight the need to revise the construction curriculum and teaching methods, emphasising the importance of using digital tools and applications. A well-structured and implemented construction course curriculum tailored towards acquiring soft and hard construction skills will go a long way towards sustaining, improving, and increasing a viable construction workforce.
... According to Ref. [15], managerial skills are required by Electrical Engineering students in starting, developing and managing an enterprise. It also includes decision-making, control, and negotiation skills, essential in creating and growing a new business venture [16]. Therefore, management skills are essentially needed by entrepreneurs so that they can effectively achieve their business goals through coordinated efforts of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling, as well as marketing products and services [17] Marketing products and services at a profit is the overall goal of every entrepreneur. ...
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The study's primary purpose was to assess the entrepreneurial skills required by electrical engineering students for operational adaptation to emerging trends in the Electrical Industry in Nigeria. The study, which adopted a descriptive survey research design, was conducted in northeast Nigeria and had three research questions and three null hypotheses. The study population was 211, which comprised 178 Lecturers of electrical/electronics from the three Federal Universities and seven polytechnics offering electrical/electronics engineering and 49 electrical/electronics industry supervisors in 33 establishments in North Eastern Nigeria. The study adopted a purposive sampling technique in which the entire population was used as the sample for the analysis. A structured questionnaire developed by the researcher titled Questionnaire for Entrepreneurial Skills Required by Electrical Engineering Students for Operational Adaptation to Emerging Trends (QESTREESOAET) was used as an instrument for data collection. Three experts validated the instrument, and a reliability index of 0.89 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. The mean statistic was used to answer the research questions, while the t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The study's findings revealed that ten managerial, ten accounting and 18 marketing entrepreneurial skills were identified as necessary skills for operational adaptation to emerging trends in the Electrical Industry in Nigeria. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the National University Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (BTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) should develop a curriculum that will adequately introduce the concept of management and its importance to the students for adequate assimilation and practice for all students of electrical engineering.
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Soft skills (SS) significantly influence engineering graduate’s employability. In addition to their academic knowledge and technical capabilities, graduates need soft skills. Employers give a greater value on soft skills than on technical abilities. For career-long employment sustainability, these skills are essential success factors. Employability is significantly correlated with soft skills. To succeed in the job, engineers require soft skills. Technical skills are valued by employers throughout the hiring process, but as engineering careers progress, employers give more emphasis on soft skills. However, not every level of a person's career requires the same set of soft skills. At a certain point in a career, employers look for different soft skills. Starting with early career, moving through mid-career, and ending with advanced career, this research attempts to uncover those soft skills accountable for workplace success meeting employer’s expectations. Both graduates with a diploma and a bachelor's degree in engineering have been covered by this study. The majority of engineers share the same Intelligent Quotient (IQ) on an average. Technical skill gaps are easily bridged with quick trainings. The only things that set engineers apart from the masses are soft skills, which are primarily characterized by personality traits and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Employability is influenced by numerous factors. Only the employability's absolute dimension is the subject of the inquiry. Absolute dimension is contingent upon the candidate’s skill sets. It is true that having technical abilities is a requirement for employment. But in addition to technical skills, modern employers now prioritize soft skills. Of course, an engineer continues to be measured by his/her soft skills in mapping their Annual Compensation Review (ACR). The study identifies 46 distinct soft skills that engineers need. Since not all skills are equally valuable at every level of a career, they are grouped according to career stage.
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Employability of engineering graduates is largely impacted by their higher order cognitive skills. In addition to their academic knowledge and technical capabilities, graduates need HOCS. Employers give a larger value on HOCS than on technical abilities. For career-long employment sustainability, these skills are essential success factors. Employability is significantly correlated with HOCS. To succeed in the job, engineers require HOCS. Technical skills are valued by employers throughout the hiring process, but as engineering careers progress, employers give more emphasis on HOCS. However, not every level of a person's career requires the same set of HOCS. At a certain point in a career, employers look for different HOCS. Starting with early career, moving through mid-career, and ending with advanced career, this research attempts to uncover those HOCS accountable for workplace success meeting employer’s expectations. Both graduates with a diploma and a bachelor's degree in engineering have been covered by this study. The majority of engineers share the same Intelligent Quotient (IQ) on an average. Technical skill gaps are easily bridged with quick trainings. The only things that set engineers apart from the masses are HOCS, which are primarily higher order brain-based executive functions. Employability is influenced by numerous factors. Only the employability's absolute dimension is the subject of the inquiry. Absolute dimension is contingent upon the candidate’s skill sets. It is true that having technical abilities is a requirement for employment. But in addition to technical skills, modern employers now prioritize HOCS. It is an indisputable fact that engineer’s HOCS play a major role in their Annual Compensation Review (ACR). The study identifies 14 distinct HOCS that engineers need. Since not all skills are equally valuable at every point of a career, they are grouped according to career stage.
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