Assessment of Skills and Competencies of Built Environment Graduates

It has been established that there exist discrepancies between the skills requirements of industries and the acquired skills of university graduates in the labour market from the employers of labour in the Nigerian construction industry. Consequentially, graduates are forced to accept inferior jobs so as to enter the job market. The study assessed the critical factors influencing the skills and competencies expected of built environment graduates in construction firms in Abuja, Nigeria. Quantitative research was adopted using structured questionnaires. Analysis of data was undertaken using Mean Item Score (MIS). Findings from the study revealed that the most important barrier to the development of skills and competencies for built environment graduates was “financial difficulty” (MIS = 4.85). It was concluded that the critical factors influencing the skills and competencies expected of built environment graduates in Nigeria are significant.