Career paths and development: Actions and examples from the heavy civil sector

The future success of the construction industry relies heavily on students and emerging professionals obtaining the requisite and desired skills necessary for a career in the field. The path to obtaining a career in the heavy civil sector of the construction industry in particular is not well documented. A number of challenges in obtaining the skills, experience, and career path in the heavy civil sector are presented and discussed from the perspectives of educators, the industry, and students. Primarily, the relationship between the educational and industry sectors is explored, and suggestions for improvement are developed. For students and emerging professionals, information is presented to assist in determining their desired career path and creating a path toward achievement of their career goals. The critical points are for students to determine which route is most interesting and to gain preliminary experience in the field. Lastly, recommendations are extracted to enable better relationships between industry and educational professionals that foster collaboration and continuing education in the heavy civil sector.