Digital solutions need to be at the heart of upskilling or the sector will lose out, says Rob Norton of PlanRadar.
The chancellor’s recent announcement of £600m to train 60,000 new construction workers has been a long time coming. Nevertheless, it’s a hugely welcome step forward for an industry long left behind in the struggle for fresh talent.
After years of skills shortages and growing regulatory complexity, this investment signals a critical turning point.
The proposed strategy, which includes establishing 11 technical colleges, presents a golden opportunity to revolutionise our approach to workforce development. But let’s be crystal clear, there’s a glaring risk of missing the most transformative element: essential digital literacy.
Construction is no longer only about physical skills. From planning and design to onsite execution, digital processes now underpin every aspect of our work. The days of dismissing digital skills as optional are over. Whether you’re an architect drafting plans, or a contractor managing site operations, technological proficiency is now non-negotiable.
Lengthy delays and costs
A dangerous misconception persists that workers who are “on the tools” don’t need digital skills. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Regulatory compliance, quality assurance and safety documentation all now demand digital competence.
Take snagging and Part L compliance, which require precise digital recording and photographic documentation. Miss these, and you’re looking at lengthy delays, costly fines and potential project failure. So construction workers need to be able to use the available technologies that can deliver these tasks more accurately and efficiently, to stay relevant and even employable.
I cannot stress enough that being digitally savvy must apply across the board, especially as contractors and subcontractors are increasingly mandated to use online tools for tasks such as quality assurance and fire safety compliance.
That’s why the government’s skills initiative must place digital literacy at its core. This means embedding software training, data management skills and technological awareness into professional development. From project management platforms to AI-driven predictive maintenance tools, workers need to be comfortable using them day-to-day.
Future-proofing industry
Ultimately, this isn’t just about compliance and keeping up: it’s about scaling up and futureproofing an entire industry. With increasingly stringent regulatory complexity and rapidly advancing technological innovation, like it or not, digital skills are now fundamental and indispensable to construction best practice.
The chancellor’s £600m investment is more than a training fund. It’s an opportunity to reset our approach to skills development, ensuring the next generation of construction professionals are as comfortable using a tablet as they are with wielding a trowel. Miss this chance for a digital upskill, and we won’t only lose time, resources and money – we’ll lose our competitive edge.
Don’t miss out on BIM, information management and digital construction news: sign up to receive the BIMplus newsletter.
