M.Tech. (Construction Management) / The objective of this study is to identify the different problems faced by employers and quantity surveying students; as a result: Employers face students who are unprepared for the work situation and students face problems in the classroom. The aim is to question methods which have been applied until now in terms of teaching and learning with a particular emphasis on quantity surveying. New competencies are being created as the industry is evolving. It is suggested that a thorough review is needed. The South African construction industry has grown considerably; this has also brought about a huge demand for quantity surveyors with estimating skills, but there is also a severe skills shortage in the engineering sector and more particularly in the building construction sector; these shortages have exacerbated the situation. This research study aims to assess the problems encountered by students in the workplace, with a view to identifying how the solutions found could serve as the main vectors in implementing innovative curricula in tertiary institutions. The study also examined the role of the industry itself: the ways and means by which the industry should meet the tertiary institutions halfway to reinforce the basic knowledge and to develop the core competencies of the individual quantity surveyor and estimator. The method used in this study was a descriptive method in which structured questionnaires were given to the respondents in order to determine their views of the industry. Their suggestions on the different approach which could be followed to alleviate the problems faced by quantity surveyors to adapt more quickly once they are employed in the industry were investigated. The higher education system is not doing enough to prepare quantity surveying students professionally for the performance expected of them in the construction industry. The result is that employers have to fill the void that some tertiary institutions are failing to address by implementing continuing professional development (CPD).The curriculum is at risk since it is stagnating, and a new curriculum and outcomes need to be aligned to employers’ expectations. The lack of knowledge witnessed among new graduates often creates a waste of time for the companies in trying to get newly appointed graduates up to speed in terms of the performance expected by the industry. It is therefore important to identify the issues and to revolutionise the education system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7775 |
| Date | 21 November 2013 |
| Creators | Ndong de Souza, Patrick Narcisse |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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