Building a modern construction workforce

Growing up, construction management student Megan Mehas assisted with tasks in the offices of Mehas Construction, which her family has owned since her grandfather started the company in 1985. Megan and her younger brother, Logan, aim to eventually run their parents’ business portfolio, which includes Mehas Construction, Baldy Electric and Baldy Utility Company.

However, before Megan and Logan take over the family businesses, their parents, Nicole Mehas and Ryan Mehas, an alumnus of the Del E. Webb School of Construction in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, insist that their children first advance their learning in the field.

“I feel that the experience I received at Del E. Webb and Arizona State University has been valuable to my success and growth,” Ryan says. “The education my son and daughter will receive in the program provides them the foundation to successfully continue the legacy I have built.”

Megan is now a junior in the Fulton Schools construction management and technology program, and Logan has been accepted to begin his first year after he graduates high school in 2025. Though Megan attends the same school of construction her father did, the school has evolved since Ryan was a student.

Its programs have changed to cater to the needs of the rapidly evolving and high-paying construction field. The school of construction’s curriculum now incorporates increased integration of technology, has a greater variety of student organizations and extracurricular opportunities and sees a larger share of women students.

James Murphy, CEO of Willmeng Construction and a Del E. Webb School of Construction alumnus, praises the school’s capabilities to prepare graduates for construction jobs.

Abundant construction opportunities

Megan has taken full advantage of the school of construction’s extracurricular offerings. She says participating in leadership roles, such as president of the Advancing Women in Construction student organization, and in construction skill contests, like the Associated Schools of Construction Regions 6 & 7 Student Competition, has been particularly valuable.

“These opportunities have not only allowed me to grow my network extensively but have also significantly improved my leadership skills,” Megan says.

Timothy Becker, programs chair in the Del E. Webb School of Construction, concurs that the variety of opportunities available for students is one of the programs’ biggest strengths.

“Construction is a people business,” Becker says. “You learn people skills by dealing with people. I think the best opportunity for students to do that is by leading student groups and competition teams.”

 A changing workforce

The people skills that the school of construction’s students gain are essential for interacting with an increasingly diverse construction workforce. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that women make up a growing share of construction workers.

Becker also sees a growing trend of women entering the construction field. He estimates that about 20% of Del E. Webb School of Construction students are women, and his spring 2024 CON 495 Construction Planning and Scheduling course included 24 women out of its 111 students.

In addition to the increase in women working in construction, Becker sees other trends in the field. Construction sites are now incorporating emerging technologies, such as drones to measure job progress, remotely operated and autonomous earthmoving machinery, and exoskeletons that increase workers’ strength for moving heavy materials and equipment.

Construction’s greater emphasis on technology is creating new jobs in the field as the industry becomes increasingly high-tech.

Becker says digital engineers, information technology personnel and supply chain logistics experts are needed in construction more than ever. Modern construction sites require these roles to manage digital files, maintain internet service and associated equipment and procure building materials and prefabricated assemblies.

With the industry undergoing rapid changes, the school of construction is ensuring its students are ready to be leaders after graduation by incorporating current trends, modern technologies and industry experience into its programs.

Getting down to business

The Del E. Webb School of Construction requires students to complete two internships with industry that prepare students to work on day one after graduation. Becker says demand among companies in the Phoenix area is high for both interns and full-time staff; the school has nearly a 100% job placement rate for undergraduate construction management and technology students.

Jake Speck, an area manager for Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. and a Del E. Webb School of Construction alumnus, says he’s had a positive experience working with the school’s student interns and graduates.

“Del E. Webb School of Construction students are well-prepared to take on staff roles within our company,” Speck says. “The curriculum is appropriately developed to provide real-world skills.”

Among the students who completed their degrees and went on to work in local industry is Colton Blakley, a project engineer at Willmeng Construction. Blakley started with Willmeng as an intern in the summer between his sophomore and junior years.

“The Del E. Webb School laid the foundation for many of the skills required for an entry-level career in industry,” he says. “The program has courses on a variety of topics, which allowed me to find what specific area I was interested in. The biggest benefit was the internship program that allowed me to get boots-on-the-ground experience performing a role on a real project.”

Becker says the Phoenix metro area is one of the most active construction markets in the country, providing an ideal location for students to start as interns and later become full-time construction managers or business owners. Bureau of Labor Statistics data predict a trend of the field continuing to grow faster than average across the country, with the number of construction management positions increasing by 5% through 2032 and a national median annual salary of $104,900 as of 2023.

For students interested in gaining an advantage in the construction job market, Blakley says the Del E. Webb School of Construction alumni network is especially valuable.

“The alumni network is very involved with Del E. Webb School undergraduate events, and by attending these events you meet so many Sun Devils in the industry,” he says. “When you walk away, you have a handful of potential interviews as well as contacts to reach out to in the future.”

Mike Godbehere, co-founder and CEO of Phoenix-based construction company GCON Inc. and a Del E. Webb School of Construction alumnus, is part of that alumni network and regularly hires graduates from the school. Godbehere praises the school’s programs as among the best in the country.

“The students are some of the most highly sought-after job candidates in our industry,” he says. “As a Del E. Webb School graduate and member of the school’s industry executive council, I am amazed at the constant validation of the curriculum, internship programs and industry support through which the school seeks to maintain the highest quality of education and experience for its graduates entering our industry.”

The Del E. Webb School of Construction is housed in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment — one of the eight schools in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. The School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment is not only home to the construction management and technology and construction engineering programs, but also the civil engineering, environmental engineering, and sustainable engineering programs. This unique collaboration enables faculty, students, alumni and industry partners of the Del E. Webb School of Construction to advance the construction of sustainable built environments that enhance quality of life in communities, both locally and globally.

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