SCHOOL’S OUT: TECH OFFERS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO CONSTRUCTION’S LABOUR SHORTAGE

Al most two-thirds of respondents in RICS’ 2023 Q1 UK construction monitor said a labour shortage is taking a toll on building activity 1 . Recent proprietary research we conducted mirrored this, highlighting a labour and skills shortage to be one of the top three causes of project delays 2

T he cracks are starting to show as material shortages, supply chain woes and rising construction costs are creating a perfect storm that threatens to add more pressure on many already struggling firms. Putting this in context, our research, which polled over 200 leading contractors, found almost 100% of projects are subject to delays, with the majority also reporting significant delivery backlogs.

H owever, with great challenges also comes fantastic opportunity, in this case, from user-centric technology, which can fill the industry’s current gaps to achieve greater productivity and quality both on and off site whilst supporting an ageing workforce and enticing younger techsavvy workers.

Let’s take the opportunity to break this down.

Holding on

T he logical place to start is holding onto the talent the industry already has by supporting older workers and retaining their valuable experience and skills. This means minimising the workload to stave off retirement. Technology, like robotics, can do most of the heavy lifting on site today, taking on repetitive, physically demanding work. Similarly, drones and advanced geospatial robotics can alleviate the physical rigours of surveying work. Other digital technologies are also lending a hand as working from home becomes an increasingly attractive option. Inspections can draw on remote video streaming, digital twins and augmented reality (AR). In the same breath, this also helps to link up experienced workers with new talent at a distance to support training needs.

Higher-value outcomes

Further supporting the current workforce, the latest tech can also foster greater productivity, freeing up workers to tackle other critical activities. Offering intuitive document management, task automation and insightful data analysis, increasingly advanced technologies like cloud computing and AI are safeguarding project teams against errors. The days of scribbled notes on scattered sheets of paper and outdated 2D paper designs are long gone, taking human error out of the equation to eliminate resourcedraining headaches like rework.

Fresh talent

To inspire younger talent, construction needs a makeover. The prospect of a desk often trumps the industry’s labour-intensive image as the sector is still perceived as a tradesman world with poor progression and a lack of variety, overshadowed by sectors like finance, technology or sciences. This can be easily addressed by showcasing the advanced technology driving the industry today and opening up new career paths from drone pilots to data analysts. However, it’s not enough to just share the fact students and younger workers will need skilling up using real tools and software to get them fieldready for their first roles.

We need to start now

C ITB estimates the UK construction industry needs around a quarter of a million workers by 2027 to keep pace 3 It’s a race against time, and crucial we address the situation head on – but we need not do it blindly.

C onstantly evolving construction technology has kickstarted a quantum shift in working practices, lightening the load on a stretched workforce and galvanising the curiosity of a new generation. We must strike while the iron’s hot and continue to move the ConTech investment conversation along. It will pay dividends in years to come when it’s time for all our boots to be filled.

www.xyzreality.com

FOOTNOTES:

1https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/ documents/market-surveys/Q1%202023%20 RICS%20UK%20Construction%20Monitor.pdf

2https://www.xyzreality.com/resources/ constructing-tomorrow

3https://www.building.co.uk/news/industry-needsextra-45000-workers-a-year-by-2027-citb-reportsays/5121388.article