Guidance Counselors' Knowledge and Perceptions of Careers in the Construction Industry.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness and knowledge base of high school counselors regarding careers in the construction industry. The study was completed using a self administered survey. The study instrument was approved by the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Houston Independent School District prior to use. The target schools were those who participated in a previous study conducted by the same authors. The collected data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics methods. Findings indicate that the counselors have very limited knowledge about the various construction programs. The data also showed that the counselors carry a negative image of the construction industry, which can be attributed to their lack of knowledge about the professions in this industry. Also, it was found that the counselors rate their students' knowledge about this industry to be very high. However, a majority of the counselors indicated that they are open to any training about construction careers, if made available. With this information gathered and analyzed, future steps may be taken to better prepare high school counselors for career counseling in the fields of construction and the construction industry, helping them place it in a more positive light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]