Managing the interface between work and study in a construction management program

Many construction management students work in industry both before and during their formal tertiary studies. This often means that they have to balance conflicting demands on their time. Project managers in the industry often work very long hours and sometimes they expect the same of their building cadets and trainees. Flexible delivery of study programs can go some way to assisting with this problem. However, there are specific areas where universities are able to give a valid educational experience which is quite different from that of the workplace. It is desirable that working students are given sufficient time to participate in both the formal and informal aspects of university life. A statistical analysis of student evidence provided for a compulsory industry based learning unit in one university in Sydney has revealed that some students work as many hours as a full time employee, while at the same time attempting to study full time. The phenomenon of ‘burn out’ among such individuals has been identified by several researchers. This paper describes the situation at one Australian university. It concludes that the problem cannot be solved by the universities alone. Professional bodies and employer groups should take a lead in explaining the need for a reasonable time allocation for working students to study. A broader dialogue between industry and universities about how best to manage the competing demands on student time is highly desirable.