Understanding the key master of construction project management graduate competencies required to meet industry needs in Australia

Within Australia, the construction industry is one of the largest contributors to the Australian national economy. Yet despite the economic significance of the sector, and the need for graduates of Master’s level programmes entering the construction industry to have the skill sets and competencies required to meet industry requirements, there has been little research to date that examines the graduate competencies required to meet construction industry needs. This article examines the preliminary results from a structured survey aimed at identifying important Master of Construction Project Management graduate competencies from the perspective of key personnel in recruitment and senior managerial roles within the construction industry. From the data, it was found that within the construction industry, greater significance is placed on interpersonal skills, and competencies defined as traditionally fitting within core technical knowledge, than on business and research skills, knowledge of environmental waste management systems, and sustainability and life cycle analysis. The results highlight a need for further research examining why the industry values certain skill sets over others, and whether the skills and competencies valued when hiring graduates of Master of Construction Project Management programmes varies depending on the scale of the company and the organization’s construction sector focus.