Survey and focus group assessment reveals core technical competencies in transportation construction inspectors, highlighting essential targets for workforce training programs.
Construction inspection ensures the delivery of quality transportation infrastructure projects by demonstrating that the work put in place meets or exceeds the contract requirements. Performing quality construction work helps state departments of transportation (DOTs) realize the engineered lifespan of a transportation asset, which provides the best value for DOTs and the traveling public. However, difficulties in finding, hiring, recruiting, and developing well-trained and experienced construction inspectors are a growing risk to the quality of transportation construction projects. With new inspectors joining the construction workforce, proper training is needed to impart the technical competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) to perform inspection responsibilities accurately and efficiently. For training to be successful, it needs to provide learning in specific technical competencies. However, limited research has been conducted to determine the technical competencies an inspector needs to perform their job duties successfully. Therefore, this study investigates the technical knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform inspection responsibilities. Two surveys and two focus groups were conducted to collect information on inspection responsibilities and technical competencies. The results reveal the specific technical competencies that the transportation construction inspection workforce requires, and this information can be used to develop more effective training for inspectors.
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Tummalapudi et al. (2024) studied this question.
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