Relatively few candidates looking for work in the construction industry have the necessary skills to do the job well, according to a survey of construction industry managers by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk.
It’s a frustrating and business-impacting situation for many of the 1,400 U.S. construction firms that responded to a questionnaire in July and August. About 85% of survey respondents said they are trying to fill openings, but the going is rough.
Supply chain issues and workforce challenges are ongoing concerns. A whopping 68% of respondents said that applicants lack the skills needed to work in construction. Some 61% reported project delays due to labor shortages, and 65% reported delays because of supply challenges. Higher costs caused half the respondents to cancel, postpone, or scale back projects.
In response to the skills shortage, firms are investing more in internal training, with 41% boosting spending in this area. One-quarter of respondents say they are using video training, and 14% have turned to augmented and virtual reality technology for training.
There is some optimism reflected in the survey. A sizeable minority of construction firms responding to the survey are hopeful that new technology will improve the workforce skills outlook. About 41% of respondents said that AI and robotics in the next five years will improve the quality of construction jobs and make workers safer and more productive.
Related Stories
| Aug 25, 2014
Ranked: Top cultural facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Arup, Gensler, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 25, 2014
'Vanity space' makes up large percentage of world's tallest buildings [infographic]
Large portions of some skyscrapers are useless space used to artificially enhance their height, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Aug 25, 2014
An easy trick for minimizing construction delays
About one out of every three construction projects is behind schedule or over budget, according to the Construction Industry Institute's Assessment of Owner Project Management Practices and Performance survey. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top science and technology sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
HDR, Affiliated Engineers, and Skanska top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest S+T sector design and construction firms.
| Aug 21, 2014
Ranked: Top convention center AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, AECOM, and Hunt Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest convention center design and construction firms.
| Aug 21, 2014
Apartment construction hits 25-year high
The boost to apartment construction suggests that job gains are encouraging the creation of households.
| Aug 21, 2014
Strategies for providing great customer service
Customers are inherently inefficient and inconvenient to do business with, writes Customer Service Consultant Micah Solomon, in a recent Forbes post. That’s why he believes great customer service depends on understanding this. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 21, 2014
Must See: Detroit's Beaux-Arts parking garage
An opulent Renaissance Revival building in downtown Detroit is being used as a parking garage.
| Aug 20, 2014
Construction backlog indicator reaches all-time high in second quarter
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) reached an all-time high in the second quarter of 2014. CBI improved 5.4 percent and currently stands at 8.5.
| Aug 19, 2014
Goettsch Partners unveils design for mega mixed-use development in Shenzhen [slideshow]
The overall design concept is of a complex of textured buildings that would differentiate from the surrounding blue-glass buildings of Shenzhen.