Covid-19: how to take advantage of the crisis to optimize digital skills in the construction industry?

How will the future of construction be based on digital skills?

In this particular period of health epidemic linked to COVID-19, during which many construction sites are idling or even being closed, it is important to rethink the ways of organizing work in the construction sector and to think about the optimization of digital skills to allow the sector to be ever more efficient.

Indeed, COVID-19, a totally unpredictable phenomenon, has placed the construction industry facing a steep digital learning curve. The entire sector is affected. However, for many workers, unable to get to their site or office, perfecting their digital skills during this confinement period can be a real opportunity. Immediate action to accelerate the digital transformation journey will help the industry fill its gaps and prepare for the trends that will mark the coming years, including sustainable construction and the development of smart cities.

Proven skills shortage in France and Europe

Like many other countries, the French construction sector faces a skills shortage. The vacancy rate European construction has increased since 2009 and the lack of available skills is having a real impact on developers and construction companies. A labor shortage can greatly affect the delivery of projects by lengthening the time required for their completion and weighing on margins. In addition, in most countries, construction has not changed fundamentally for more than a century, and this sector is lagging behind in terms of digital transformation. This is why it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract and train a new generation of employees.

Causes of skills shortage

As with most skill shortages, it is a combination of different factors. In the construction sector, there are three key elements:

• Staff loyalty: The turnover in this sector is significant. Employees regularly change jobs and companies. This is why construction companies must constantly recruit new employees to replace them. Yes, attracting new employees to this sector is a challenge, as it is often seen as lagging behind technologically.
• Aging staff: In Europe, the number of employees aged 25 to 49 working in construction decreased by almost 4% between 2008 and 2015, while those aged 50 to 64 increased by 6%. Due to the large proportion of workers over the age of 50 on most construction sites, many retirements can be expected in the near future.
• Skills development: As we move towards a future of sustainable construction and smart cities, many new skills are becoming vital. People with digital and technical knowledge are increasingly in demand, because smart cities require the creation of a "Footprint" as well as the ability to better manage data.

Prepare for the future

By becoming a digital sector, construction can be an attractive career proposition for young workers who are fully prepared to overcome the skills shortage. As construction evolves towards smart cities and sustainable methods, the next generation of employees with digital skills will be crucial to developing more efficient integrated buildings. Information management skills will also be essential: it is estimated that 80.000 workers will have to be trained in France in model real estate (BIM) in 2020 alone.

Proving that this sector is innovative, collaborative and forward-looking will make it more attractive to new entrants, and will help alleviate the skills shortage before the situation gets worse in the future. Digital “natives” want to work in a dynamic, visionary and exciting field. This is why the adoption of digital tools and technologies is a means of demonstrating that this field is moving in the right direction.

The example to follow: digital construction in the APAC region

Although construction has lagged behind other sectors such as finance and distribution in terms of digital transformation, one region is recording an opposite trend: the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). Thanks to large-scale investments in 5G and digitalisation in general, the region's infrastructure promotes a more digital-oriented approach to construction. In countries such as Japan and Singapore, this sector is already highly digital. For example, the Singapore Industry Transformation Map (ITM) is studying the use of digital technologies to "Integrate work procedures and connect actors working on projects". All teams are equipped with mobile devices, which have become second nature for communicating via a digital platform, carrying out anomaly control using a digital tool, or transmitting the data of a security incident to their colleagues. This is a perfect example of what the European construction sector will have to digitize to deal with the worsening of its skills shortage.

As in the rest of the world, it will have to follow in the footsteps of the APAC region by adopting a digital data-driven model. Otherwise, it will risk worsening its skills shortage and losing its customers to companies in the APAC region that have already completed their digital transition. To attract and retain staff, compensate for an aging workforce and guarantee the availability of skills necessary for the future of construction, digitization is the best answer.