Digital construction is at the forefront of the UK’s overarching Industrial Strategy. With an abundance of digital solutions available to streamline project management and workflow, which measures can be taken to assure there are sufficient skilled employees to use them and secure the construction industry’s future?
Attracting younger generations
At present, it is estimated that 22% of the construction industry’s current workforce is over 50 and 15% is over 60; startling figures which are indicative of the industry’s ageing workforce. Therefore, as time progresses it is becoming more crucial to identify potential avenues which will attract pools of young people to fill the emerging skills gap.
According to a Redrow report, 52% of young people disregard a career in construction, either because they are simply disinterested or completely unaware of what a career in construction entails. This statistic needs explicating, as it could infer that the current construction industry skills shortage is perpetuated by the multiple misconceptions and misperceptions which have been rife in the industry for a long period of time.
The industry has made significant progression over the past decade, yet the majority of young people unfortunately associate construction with muddy hi-vis vests, dust and little opportunity for development. A misrepresentation that is almost as shocking as the statistic mentioned above: what is it going to take to let young people see how enterprising, innovative and ‘digital’ the construction industry is?
Technology is used throughout our everyday lives, transcending age groups. Even though the construction industry is no exception, it is still perceived as relatively low-tech.
Start with secondary schools
Whilst architecture university degrees are prolific in the education of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other digital construction solutions, this trend is by no means concurrent with secondary schools. The reasons for this are not necessarily to do with a matter of choice or preference; UK schools are under pressure to offer students – at GCSE particularly – the sought-after STEM subjects which are at the foundation of an industrial, corporate world.
Even though STEM subjects open-up multiple opportunities for young people, the same sentiment applies to the construction industry. For example, digital construction is part of the UK’s wider Industrial Strategy, where the creation of software such as BIM has generated jobs requiring a high level of technical education and skills which form the base of ‘STEM careers’.
An example would be the use of augmented reality across construction projects. Although the technology is in its early stages, augmented reality (AR) is radically changing the building process, described as a way to visualise, manage and coordinate data throughout a building’s lifecycle. AR creates a virtual 3D structure of a building, providing important data about each component that can be accessed pre, during and post construction. Therefore, as this working method continues to develop, complementary skillsets will have to be nurtured within client organisations to ensure the software can be operated and utilised efficiently by Operations and FM teams.
Digital construction in action
A few years ago the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) developed ‘Craft Your Future’, a programme for 12-14 year olds which is integrated into the computer game Minecraft. Designed to encourage young people to consider careers in city planning, construction management and more, ‘Craft Your Future’ is a virtual solution which gives young people crucial insight into the real-time operation of a construction project.
Whilst ‘Craft Your Future’ may be playing a vital role in addressing the future skills gap and labour shortages, the industry in its present state has more pressing concerns. It is widely known that throughout the industry there is a reluctance to adopt digital solutions. Bodies such as the UK BIM Alliance – which GroupBC is a patron of – educate companies on the benefits of digital construction and aim to ensure a common approach amongst vendors. However, much needs to be achieved to counteract this unproductive cultural stalemate if the industry is to embrace modern methods of working, such as off-site manufacturing.
Recent initiatives such as reverse mentoring programmes, offered by the likes of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering – in which the more ‘digitally-experienced’ workers are helping senior colleagues transition to digital processes – are softening the alien transition from one way of working to another. As such, these will hopefully provide them with a better understanding of the business benefits of digital technologies.
The initiatives outlined above are just a small portion of the many programmes that are being developed to realise the industry’s digital future. For this reason, the industry would do well to continually develop programmes such as these, headed by inspirational industry specialists who can showcase the excellence, worth and opportunities in digital construction to people of all ages and abilities. Not only will this help close the skills gap, it will ensure construction businesses have enough highly-skilled workers to steer the construction industry into its digital chapter.
Source: UK Construction Media
Ujenzi wa dijiti ni mbele ya mkakati wa jumla wa viwanda wa Uingereza. Kwa wingi wa ufumbuzi wa dijiti unaopatikana ili kurahisisha usimamizi wa mradi na mtiririko wa kazi, ni hatua gani zinaweza kuchukuliwa kuhakikisha kuna wafanyikazi wa kutosha wenye ujuzi kuzitumia na kuhakikisha mustakabali wa tasnia ya ujenzi? Kwa sasa, inakadiriwa kuwa asilimia 22 ya wafanyikazi wa sasa katika sekta ya ujenzi ni zaidi ya miaka 50 na asilimia 15 ni zaidi ya miaka 60 - takwimu za kushangaza ambazo zinaonyesha idadi ya wafanyikazi wa kizazi cha sekta hiyo. Kwa hivyo, kadiri wakati unavyopita, inakuwa muhimu zaidi kutambua njia zinazoweza kuvutia vikundi vya vijana kujaza pengo la ujuzi linaloibuka. Kulingana na ripoti ya Redrow, 52% ya vijana hupuuza kazi katika ujenzi, ama kwa sababu hawapendezwi au hawajui kabisa kazi katika ujenzi inahusisha. Takwimu hii inahitaji kuelezwa, kwani inaweza kuashiria kwamba uhaba wa sasa wa ujuzi wa tasnia ya ujenzi unaendelea na dhana nyingi na dhana zisizo za kweli ambazo zimekuwa zikienea katika tasnia kwa kipindi kirefu cha wakati. Sekta hiyo imefanya maendeleo makubwa katika muongo uliopita, lakini kwa bahati mbaya vijana wengi wanahusianisha ujenzi na mavazi ya hali ya juu, vumbi na fursa ndogo za maendeleo. Ufafanuzi usio sahihi ambao ni karibu kama mshtuko kama takwimu zilizotajwa hapo juu: ni nini kitakachohitajika ili vijana waone jinsi sekta ya ujenzi ilivyo ya ujasiri, ubunifu na "digital"? Teknolojia hutumiwa katika maisha yetu ya kila siku, ikizidi makundi ya umri. Hata ingawa sekta ya ujenzi si ubaguzi, bado inaonekana kuwa ya teknolojia ya chini. Wakati digrii za chuo kikuu za usanifu ni za uzalishaji katika elimu ya Uundaji wa Habari ya Ujenzi (BIM) na suluhisho nyingine za ujenzi wa dijiti, mwenendo huu haufanyi kazi kwa shule za sekondari. Sababu za hii si lazima kufanya na suala la uchaguzi au upendeleo; shule za Uingereza ni chini ya shinikizo la kutoa wanafunzi - katika GCSE hasa - baada ya kutafuta masomo STEM ambayo ni katika msingi wa viwanda, dunia ya ushirika. Ingawa masomo ya STEM yanafungua fursa nyingi kwa vijana, hisia hiyo inatumika kwa tasnia ya ujenzi. Kwa mfano, ujenzi wa dijiti ni sehemu ya Mkakati wa Viwanda wa Uingereza, ambapo uundaji wa programu kama vile BIM umezalisha kazi zinazohitaji kiwango cha juu cha elimu ya kiufundi na ujuzi ambao huunda msingi wa kazi za STEM. Mfano ungekuwa matumizi ya hali halisi iliyoongezwa katika miradi ya ujenzi. Ingawa teknolojia hiyo iko katika hatua zake za mwanzo, hali halisi iliyoongezwa (AR) inabadilisha kabisa mchakato wa ujenzi, iliyoelezwa kama njia ya kuona, kusimamia na kuratibu data katika mzunguko wa maisha ya jengo. AR huunda muundo wa 3D wa majengo, ikitoa data muhimu kuhusu kila sehemu ambayo inaweza kupatikana kabla, wakati na baada ya ujenzi. Kwa hivyo, wakati mbinu hii ya kazi inaendelea kuendeleza, ujuzi wa ziada utahitaji kulishwa ndani ya mashirika ya wateja ili kuhakikisha programu inaweza kuendeshwa na kutumika kwa ufanisi na timu za Uendeshaji na FM. "Mwaka mmoja uliopita, Taasisi ya Chartered ya Ujenzi (CIOB) ilitengeneza ""Craft Your Future,"" programu ya watoto wa miaka 12-14 ambayo imeunganishwa na mchezo wa kompyuta wa Minecraft." Ili kuwahamasisha vijana kuzingatia kazi katika mipango ya mji, usimamizi wa ujenzi na zaidi, Craft Your Future ni suluhisho la virtual ambalo huwapa vijana ufahamu muhimu katika utendaji wa wakati halisi wa mradi wa ujenzi. "Wakati ""Craft Your Future"" inaweza kuwa na jukumu muhimu katika kushughulikia muda ujao ujuzi pengo na upungufu wa kazi, sekta katika hali yake ya sasa ina wasiwasi zaidi." Ni inajulikana sana kwamba katika sekta nzima kuna kusita kupitisha ufumbuzi digital. Mashirika kama vile UK BIM Alliance, ambayo GroupBC ni mlinzi wa, kuelimisha makampuni juu ya faida ya ujenzi digital na lengo la kuhakikisha mbinu ya kawaida miongoni mwa wauzaji. Hata hivyo, mengi yanahitaji kufanywa ili kukabiliana na hali hii ya utamaduni isiyo na matokeo ikiwa sekta hiyo inapaswa kukumbatia mbinu za kisasa za kufanya kazi, kama vile utengenezaji wa nje ya tovuti. Mipango ya hivi karibuni kama vile mipango ya ushauri wa kinyume, inayotolewa na watu kama vile Chama cha Ushauri na Uhandisi - ambapo wafanyakazi wenye "maarifa ya dijiti" zaidi wanasaidia wenzake wa zamani kuhamia michakato ya dijiti - ni kupunguza mpito wa kigeni kutoka kwa njia moja ya kufanya kazi hadi nyingine. Kama vile, hizi hopefully kutoa yao na uelewa bora wa faida za biashara ya teknolojia digital. Mipango iliyoelezwa hapo juu ni sehemu ndogo tu ya mipango mingi ambayo inaendelezwa ili kutambua siku zijazo za dijiti za tasnia. Kwa sababu hii, sekta hiyo itafanya vizuri kuendelea kuendeleza programu kama hizi, zinazoongozwa na wataalamu wa sekta ya msukumo ambao wanaweza kuonyesha ubora, thamani na fursa katika ujenzi wa dijiti kwa watu wa umri wote na uwezo. Hii sio tu itasaidia kufunga pengo la ujuzi, itahakikisha biashara za ujenzi zina wafanyikazi wa kutosha wenye ujuzi wa juu kuongoza tasnia ya ujenzi kwenye sura yake ya dijiti. Chanzo: UK Construction Media