Construction Management program coming to FGCU

With the growing demand for construction managers in Southwest Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University is adding a program that will help fill those open positions.

The Construction Management Program is helping with the growing need of construction managers here in this booming area.

Over the next five years, the number of people needed to fill those spots is expected to skyrocket.

“The industry came to us and said we need more construction managers in this region,” said Richard Behr, who is the College of Engineering Dean.

Both Lee and Collier County fall in the top ten in the nation for highest employment level of construction managers.

Positions like these oversee a work site or do lots of administration work, so the university decided to be proactive and started working on a budget and curriculum several years ago, so graduating students would be qualified to fill these positions.

The Dean says local companies have been very receptive to the Construction Management Program and they even plan to partner for internship opportunities.

“I just wish it could’ve happened faster because the need it still growing with all the construction that’s going on in this region, they need talent to do these jobs properly,” said Dean Behr.