Jennifer Willard, a first-year student at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, speaks with recruiters from Scott Long Construction during the fall career fair at the Inn at Virginia Tech.
Courtesy Virginia Tech Jennifer Willard, a first-year student at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, speaks with recruiters from Scott Long Construction during the fall career fair at the Inn at Virginia Tech.

In an industry faced with labor shortages, young construction school graduates have their pick of jobs.

A recent study released in U.S. News & World Report shows that construction-based majors are the nation’s hottest and fastest-growing. Enrollment in construction-related majors grew 26.4 percent over the past year at four-year institutions – the largest increase of any major, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

That trend is backed by federal job data and projections. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says construction industry jobs will have the fastest growth all occupations over the next decade, thanks to a booming population and the resulting need for new infrastructure. According to the BLS, the economy will add more than 7.2 million construction jobs by 2024.

Demand for professionals with construction management backgrounds was visible last week, as 117 firms and more than 500 student job candidates crowded into Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction career fair. The event, held in fall and spring, has become an essential networking, internship, and career venue for students and employers alike, says Brian Kleiner, the school’s director. (Click here for a video from the fair.)

“Each student gets multiple offers and many get five to six offers,” says Kleiner. “Rather than compete for jobs, our students have companies competing for them.”

In fact, Myers-Lawson graduates enjoy 100 percent employment, their pick of construction management jobs with top national and global construction firms, and average starting salaries of at least $66,000-a-year.

Over 900 participants attended this year’s fair. Rising demand meant some companies had to be turned away for booths, according to the school.

Myers-Lawson student Richard Randolph speaks with Turner Construction Company representatives during the career fair.
Courtesy Virginia Tech Myers-Lawson student Richard Randolph speaks with Turner Construction Company representatives during the career fair.

Many students, such as Allie Jo Vogrig, have jobs waiting for them before they even graduate. The senior construction engineering and management major from Pittsburgh received a full-time job offer on the first day of senior year.

“Honestly, I don’t think I would be standing here six weeks into my senior year with a full-time job already lined up if I was in a different major,” she says.

Ken Taylor, executive vice president of W.M. Jordan Company, who graduated from Virginia Tech’s building construction program in 1979, says his alma mater is a top source of hiring for the company.

“There is simply not enough young talent being produced to keep up with the growth,” he said. “This particular school is preparing them not only with construction techniques, but life skills and professional skills.”

A joint venture of Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the College of Engineering, the school offers practical, job-ready skills in construction, engineering, and business management, as well as communication, leadership, and team-building. Over the next several years, the school plans to more than double in size. To prepare for the expected growth, two academic advisors, two tenure-track faculty, and a professor of practice were hired this fall.

In addition, earlier this year, a $15 million donation from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation – the biggest scholarship gift in university history – was endowed to assist more construction and engineering students from underserved backgrounds.