Reviewing Problem-Solving as a Key Employability Skill for Built Environment Graduates

The benefits of possessing problem-solving skills cannot be over-emphasised. From fresh graduates to industry employees, this skill is pivotal in achieving one’s goals as well as functioning effectively in the construction industry. Several researchers have suggested that industry employers value graduates who possess practical problem-solving competencies and can deliver timely and implementable solutions to arising industry problems. Hence, this paper focuses on the benefits of possessing problem-solving abilities and possible ways to foster them in higher education. This study was conducted via a review of relevant literature from peer-reviewed journals and conference articles from databases including EBSCO Host, ProQuest, SciVal, Springer, Taylor and Francis online, Emerald, among others. Notable findings from this study revealed that brainstorming, Root Cause Analysis, Cause and Effect Diagram, Pareto chart, Flowcharting and decision matrix are among some of the ways by which problem-solving skills are developed in higher education institutions (HEIs). The study also found that problem-solving skills could be developed among students by moving from teacher-centred approaches to student-centred approaches. These ranges from case-based teaching, discovery learning, problem-based to project-based learning among others. It is recommended that present-day HEIs engage built-environment students even more by integrating project-based activities into their curricula, to holistically prepare the next generation of industry professionals.