To succeed in the coming decades, construction workers will need continuous skills upgrades, according to a report by the Autodesk Foundation and Monitor Institute by Deloitte.
The research outlines a comprehensive framework for examining the skills gap challenge and specific opportunity areas for investment. “We need to understand the effects of technology adoption, how to mitigate the risks, and how to ensure that long-term incentives for success are aligned for all parties,” according to a news release.
The report highlights four key points about how to address the skills gap in U.S. construction and manufacturing:
— Training workers for new technical skills is important, but these skills can quickly become obsolete if they are not explicitly tied to more foundational and transferable capabilities
— The accelerating pace of technological change necessitates workers engage in continuous “skills upgrades,” requiring workers to imagine – and navigate – very different career pathways
— Continuous learning requires shortening the metaphorical distance between learning and work, which is most effective when learning is embedded into work and work into learning
— Closing the skills gap requires addressing a broader set of challenges facing workers: in the marketplace for jobs, at work, and in policies and practices that affect the broader “social determinants of work”
Related Stories
| Oct 24, 2014
International WELL Building Institute launches green building standard
The International WELL Building Institute has launched the WELL Building Standard Version 1.0, which focuses on enhancing people’s health and well-being through the built environment.
| Oct 24, 2014
Seattle's Bullitt Center influencing codes and public policy on sustainability
The Bullitt Center in Seattle, which some say is the world's most efficient office building is not only influencing how other structures are built, it is contributing to revisions of codes and public policy.
| Oct 16, 2014
U.S. military concerned about climate change putting bases at risk from floods
Among the challenges the armed forces may face is rising sea levels that could put Navy docks and other installations under water in places like Norfolk, Va., Honolulu, and other coastal locations.
| Oct 16, 2014
Fannie Mae releases white paper on energy performance of multifamily buildings
The least energy efficient multifamily property may be spending $165,000 more in annual energy costs than a similar property operating the most efficiently, according to a new white paper released by Fannie Mae.
| Oct 16, 2014
Energy Department sets green building standards for federal agencies
LEED Silver may be used, and in some instances, the Green Globes program may be substituted, according to a new regulation by the U.S. Department of Energy.
| Oct 16, 2014
New York City’s climate plan includes tripling of solar energy
New York City’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 includes tripling the amount of solar power generated from city-owned buildings.
| Oct 15, 2014
Drones may soon assist code inspectors for construction in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Labour announced that they will start using drones to help inspectors record when construction sites are breaking laws.
| Oct 9, 2014
California authorizes increased use of design-build on state projects
Under the updated law, the Department of General Services and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may use design-build on projects in excess of $1 million.Â
| Oct 9, 2014
New York City releases guide for retrofitting buildings against floods
Part of the city’s response to widespread flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy, the manual offers retrofitting strategies that will enable property owners to reduce the risk of damage and disruption from coastal flooding.
| Oct 9, 2014
Seattle puts restrictions on micro apartments
The Seattle City Council passed new rules that new studio apartments in the city must measure at least 220 sf and contain at least two sinks.
