Dive Brief:
- West Lafayette, Indiana-based Purdue University is offering a new program for students interested in construction technology, this time from its campus in Indianapolis, the institution announced on Jan. 30.
- Students at Purdue Polytechnic Institute, located in the city, will learn how to successfully manage construction projects, from conceptual budgets to day-to-day operations to project turnover and completion, per the release.
- Through the program, Purdue aims to capitalize on the course’s proximity to companies and industry leaders in Indianapolis. The construction management technology program also aims to be one of the first of its kind to offer a registered apprenticeship in construction management.
Dive Insight:
Purdue claims students will gain the knowledge and training required to accelerate the growth of the industry, which is in need of workers due to the ever-present specter of the skilled labor shortage.
Students in the program would be able to “earn and learn” by collecting a wage while being supervised, trained and mentored as apprentices by Indiana-based companies, per the release. Future plans include the potential to offer pre-apprenticeship programs in central Indiana high schools, creating pathways to advanced placement into the program for prospective students.
“From listening to construction industry leaders throughout the city, we knew that there was an urgent need for skilled workers in this particular area,” said David Umulis, senior vice provost Purdue University for Indianapolis, in the release.
The school has recently made waves for its work in the construction technology space — in April 2024, civil engineering professor Luna Lu won gold at the Edison Awards in its Best New Products competition in the critical human infrastructure category. That same month, the university also announced it will work with the Indiana DOT to develop the world’s first contactless wireless-charging concrete highway segment.
Purdue also launched a Trimble Technology Lab, in partnership with the Westminster, Colorado-based contech giant, to train students in architecture, engineering, and construction fields in March 2024.
The program in Indianapolis will officially be relaunched in the fall for transitioning current construction management technology students, according to the university. The first full freshman class will enter the program in the 2026-27 academic year.
