A spring 2007 nationwide survey of U.S. college students commissioned by the ARTBA-TDF found—not surprisingly to talent recruiters in our industry—that working for transportation design or construction firms barely registers as a career choice with today’s young adults.

The fact is, the survey found that college students—including those interested in engineering, computers and math—know very little about our industry or the rewarding career paths it offers in many professional disciplines.

The survey also found that the career and lifestyle goals today’s college students say they are looking for don’t match—in their minds—with what they believe our industry offers. These young adults know what they want—and when asked, they said “you’re not it”! Their perceptions of our industry work against your recruitment efforts. But there is “good news”….

The ARTBA-TDF research shows that many of their perceptions are wrong. And that’s something, working together as an industry, we can change.

More importantly, the research strongly suggests that transportation design and construction firms are actually well-positioned to meet—and often exceed—the career and lifestyle expectations of today’s new college graduates.