Developing a Residential Construction Course: Aligning Curriculum with Industry Needs Through Job Posting Analysis

10 pages•Published: July 23, 2025

Amna Salman, Tom Leathem and Irfan Anwar

Abstract

Developing a new course that aligns with current and future industry demands is a common challenge for construction management programs. A systematic approach to this process is through a needs assessment, which helps evaluate and determine the most appropriate course content. While consulting faculty and administration is important, their insights can sometimes be outdated, particularly when based on individual experiences in the residential sector. One of the effective ways to ensure the course meets industry needs is through an analysis of job postings. This approach provides direct insights into the skills, qualifications, and experience employers seek, offering a comprehensive and up-to-date view of workforce requirements that internal perspectives alone may not capture. This paper presents the development of a residential construction course at the McWhorter School of building Science, Auburn University. The methodology involved a comprehensive review of 70 job postings in the residential sector, analyzing job roles, required experience, qualifications, and responsibilities. The analysis focused on job roles and identifying key competencies sought by employers. The findings identified critical skills such as a deep understanding of residential construction means and methods, onsite construction management, effective use of technology, and preconstruction management. Additionally, the analysis highlighted the need for soft skills like communication and leadership, in interactions with clients, design teams, or the construction teams. This paper presents the details of the job posting analysis and the course development.

Keyphrases: course development, job post analysis, residential construction

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference, vol 6, pages 212-221.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/g5Lw
	https://doi.org/10.29007/xt28

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2025:Developing_Residential_Construction_Course,
  author    = {Amna Salman and Tom Leathem and Irfan Anwar},
  title     = {Developing a Residential Construction Course: Aligning Curriculum with Industry Needs Through Job Posting Analysis},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 61st Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony J. Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {6},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/g5Lw},
  doi       = {10.29007/xt28},
  pages     = {212-221},
  year      = {2025}}

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