Activities to Enhance Civil Engineering Recruitment and Coordination with Industry

Abstract

With many transportation professionals soon reaching retirement age, the industry is facing challenges. A key component to the success of the profession is recruiting new employees with the technical and managerial skills to take on future challenges. This paper outlines how one civil engineering school addressed the challenge of declining enrollments by working cooperatively with industry to meet three goals: to increase the visibility of civil engineering as a career, to expand coordination with employers, and to enhance recruitment of students. To meet the goals, a number of strategies were pursued; these included expanding activities for freshmen, participating in K–12 outreach programs, revising the civil engineering career course, expanding the career fair to include a freshman showcase, facilitating civil engineering internships for freshmen, designating a single point source for industry communications, enhancing tools for coordination with employers, increasing opportunities for student employment, updating recruiting materials, using students and alumni as ambassadors, and fostering student interaction through activities. The recruiting activities discussed in this paper not only brought in new students but also fostered cooperation with industry and the engagement of existing students, which may contribute to enhanced retention. Many activities described in this paper can be implemented at other colleges, and some of the strategies identified are appropriate for employers seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their activities on campus.