Bridging QS Competency Gap to Meet the Industry Demand in the 21st Century among QS Graduates in China

Abstract

With the continuous and rapid development of the construction industry, higher requirements are also put forward for the role of professional quantity surveyors. Compared with the construction industry in the past, projects are more complex and systematic in both theoretical and technical aspects. In the professional education from almost colleges or universities, students majoring in quantity surveying can obtain essential theories and techniques, these contents have laid a solid foundation for their future work as well as enable students to a certain extent understand the development dynamics and trends of the construction industry, because the competency to apply theoretical knowledge into practice is what is urgently needed in the construction industry over the world. This article aims to collect and analyze data on the ability of Chinese quantity surveying students after graduation and the expectations of construction company managers for graduates, and how the education system can help students enhance the adaptability to the continuous development of the industry in the 21st century. This article aimed to reveal considerable gaps between essential competencies needed to practitioners by construction industry and expertise from current quantity surveying major in education, this structural survey listed relatively important competencies needs of Singapore (ASEAN), China, Hong Kong and UK, which are from international authoritative agencies of quantity surveying field, and then analyzing whether the competencies of graduates from tertiary institutes in China are able to meet the competencies of quantity surveyor positions for current and future market. The results of this study will provide a theoretical basis for the course design of quantity surveyor specialty in the future and encourage universities to adopt the method of combining theory with practice to deal with the changing industry.