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Is silicon valley the answer to attracting the next generation in construction?

Use technology at jobsites

The root of the labor shortage goes back to the Great Recession of the late 2000s when nearly two million people exited the construction industry. A recent industry survey found that 70 percent of firms had trouble filling positions, and 75 percent felt the situation would only get worse next year.

When students - who are graduating with an appetite to work for Silicon Valley startups - close their eyes, they think about construction as a hard-working, hands-on industry, which it absolutely is. Construction technology is already making a huge impact on improving quality, reducing risk, shortening schedules, and improving margins. And by showing how advancing technology is at the forefront of solving problems, it will offer the promise of exciting, impactful, and innovative work.

The construction industry needs to show the next generation the impact it can have on something seen, lived-in, and inhabited by real people. It’s also about bringing the sexy back to construction, which means bringing cutting-edge technology to the forefront.

There so much happening with software and technology on job sites right now, both automating and supplementing what workers are doing on-site. General contractors are now using platforms such as Forge to create rich data ecosystems on worksites, linking computer models, on-site workers, project management, and back-end record-keeping.

Job sites may soon become high-tech, open-air factories: Prefabrication, modular housing, and 3D printing are revolutionizing the industry and creating more efficient, computer-aided building methods. The innovative use of technology in the industry is a compelling story, but construction firms need to do more outreach to students and prospective workers. General contractors and commercial developers should link up with universities and use these programs to create joint programs that allow these students to apply and pilot new construction technology.

A large number of building associations, including the Association of Builders and Contractors and the Association of General Contractors, should continue to reach out via their student chapters. It’s also ripe for disruption in terms of diversity, another way to appeal to younger workers and expand the pool of potential employees. The industry needs to reach into the education sector, inspire both boys and girls, and be open and proud of diversity.

This time of rapid change is an opportunity to transform the industry and the makeup of the workforce for the better.

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