CSUN MULLS BUILDER TRAINING TALENT NEEDED BY CONTRACTORS.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - Before it erects the buildings of commerce, the business world wants to help California State University, Northridge, build its students.

Professors and construction industry figures are developing a new degree program in construction management, marrying the theories of engineering to the realities of business.

Program proponents see more than $1 billion in contracts on the horizon in the San Fernando Valley, but not enough new project managers to oversee the work. By sprinkling the insight of the business world with the background of academia, they hope a construction-management degree would help correct this imbalance.

``In the San Fernando Valley, we're going to see a lot of construction going on, but there's a lack of a talent pool,'' said David Honda, past chairman of the CSUN Foundation and president of Northridge's D.S. Honda Construction. ``Right now, companies are drawing from all over the state, so we need to start growing the students here. We have an excellent university, so it seemed like we could bring these together.''

If the proposal wins administrative approval, S.T. Mau, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, expects to enroll the first students in the new bachelor of science program in fall 2004. He's formulating a mix of traditional engineering and construction concepts, along with accounting, project-cost control, contract administration and laws on construction and real estate.

``It's very practical,'' he said. ``They'd be sought after by both construction companies and owners looking for someone to manage the project. It's unique that the industry is involved from the very beginning for ... shaping the curriculum. It makes sense.''

Representatives from the local offices of four major contractors will serve on the advisory board, along with officers from the Navy's Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme.

Gary Rafferty, a senior vice president and regional manager for Swinerton Builders, said the program would provide a much-needed fresh work force.

``The talent pool is getting thinner and thinner for general contractors,'' Rafferty said. ``This will really help ... people who want to be in the business.''

Companies now can draw from similar programs at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and California State University, Long Beach, but have no local option for recruiting. Bill Cody of Turner Construction said the industry, in cooperation with CSUN, not only could gain a talent pool of local graduates, but also ensure they are well-schooled in exactly what they'll need to survive.

``Here's a chance for construction (leaders) to define what they'd like to see in a graduate,'' he said. ``People coming out need to be technically proficient in engineering, but also in risk management, which is more of a business-oriented look at construction. Rather than worrying about concrete and steel, you need to think of what kind of environment you're going to build it in.''

With custom-tailored classes, students can make the transition from classroom to job site with ease, said Honda, who attended CSUN before starting his own firm.

``My biggest fear when I was in school was that I'd graduate without a job,'' he said. ``If you have a program that actually trains them with what we're looking for, we can take them directly in as interns, and as soon as they graduate, they've got a job.''