Australia’s construction industry has an opportunity to raise the profile of the sector as a field of choice to attract the next generation of workers, a technology leader says.

During a recent interview, Sourceable spoke with Jay Allardyce, Chief Product Officer of Octave – a leading engineering, asset management and geospatial software solutions firm that services customers across 180 countries including Australia.

According to Allardyce, the sector has an opportunity to become a ‘cool’ place in which to work.

He cites the example of Tesla, which redefined the vehicle manufacturing process and generated a renewed sense of excitement among younger workers about the idea of going to trade school and working for the company.

With much of the nation’s infrastructure being rebuilt and the sector set to play a key role in areas such as the Brisbane Olympics and the energy transition, Allardyce says that Australia’s construction sector has an opportunity to position itself as an attractive place in which to work.

The opportunity is particularly significant in light of the growing use of technology and data within the sector. This is enabling the next generation to combine first principles of physics and engineering with technology and data to define the next building design, airport or sewer structure.

According to Allardyce, the importance of making the sector attractive to the next generation of workers should not be underestimated.

“We are going through a massive resurgence in building of infrastructure that many of us saw built 40 or 50 years ago,” Allardyce said.

“So things are being replenished and rebuilt.

(An image of a drone being used to inspect the safety of a crane and scaffold. Technologies such as AI, drones, AR/VR, robotics, building information modelling, project management software and others are helping to make design and construction faster, safer, more accurate and much more efficient. Image source: Freepik.)

Big need for construction workers

The comments come as Australia needs more construction workers to deliver upon a massive pipeline of projects.

This includes work associated with the Brisbane Olympics, the energy transition, a record program of public transport investment, a boom in data centre construction, projects in other areas such as healthcare and water security and the need to deliver 1.2 million new homes over five years under the National Housing Accord.

As of last October, Infrastructure Australia estimated that the nation faced a shortage of just over 205,000 workers who are needed to deliver upon the country’s public infrastructure workload.

By May next year, the worker shortage is expected to peak at almost 300,000.

Turning to housing, Australia faces worker shortages across almost every trade.

All this comes on top of the need to replace retiring workers. According to Master Builders Australia, one-quarter of the nation’s workforce is over 55 years of age.

(Octave Alto Universal Resource. Image supplied by Octave)

Breaking down perceptions

According to Allardyce, the construction sector suffers from several negative perceptions.

These include not being ‘cool’ like other industries such as technology and being seen as an industry which people enter if they fail to get into university.

These perceptions, he says, should be challenged. As with many other industries, working in construction offers opportunities to earn, support one’s family and make a positive contribution to society.

To overcome this, he says that two issues need to be addressed.

First, it is important to address wage equality issues and to ensure that all workers have equitable access to adequate employment opportunities and earning potential which suitably reflects their contribution.

Second, it is important to reshape the perception and awareness of the industry as an appealing place to work.

On this point, he says that the industry now has an opportunity.

Previously, it was rare for people on construction sites to work with software and technology tools.

Nowadays, construction projects can involve drones, security capabilities, planning tools and other high engineering-based tools.

In addition, there needs to be growing awareness of the complexity and importance of the job in ensuring that buildings and infrastructure are designed and constructed in a way that is safe, structurally robust and delivers optimal performance in operation.

He says that government, industry and the technology sector can take several actions.

These include:

• Governments and companies partnering to address aforementioned wage inequality aspects.
• Working to help people in high school and vocational education to become familiar with the suite of technologies that are used in construction as a part of the curriculum during the education process.
• Ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the ‘new definition’ of how buildings and infrastructure are being designed and delivered. This includes things like data centres and manufacturing facilities, which are becoming modular, more software defined and are built in a way which leverages and employs various material sciences.

On the last point, Allardyce says that the industry can use AI and other tools when building roads, bridges or hospitals to spread the notion of ‘cool’ jobs extending beyond architecture and engineering to also include those involved in scaffolding, construction, wiring buildings up and making them technology advanced.

He says that firms such as Octave and others have a role to play in bringing technology use to some of the earlier generation of workers and continuing to partner with industry.

(Octave Alto Data Management Overview. Image supplied by Octave)

Big opportunities from the Olympics and beyond

According to Allardyce, the nation has significant opportunities to leverage visible and important projects such as the Brisbane Olympics, the energy transition and road and rail work.

He says that such projects can expand the perception of building work beyond simply earning a paycheck and putting food on the table.

Speaking of the Olympics, he says that this will showcase our nation to a global audience.

This represents an opportunity to highlight not only the sporting aspects but also how technologies and strategies are employed to drive faster delivery timeframes, improved permitting processes and installation of key features of venues and other infrastructure in terms of matters such as safety, security and technological experience.

As with taking pride in renovating or decorating one’s own home, workers on Olympic building projects and related ancillary services may feel a sense of fulfillment in having played their part in delivering a historic and memorable experience.

From roles in software through to those involved in the laying of cable or pipes, Allardyce says that there is a story to be told that these jobs are plentiful, impactful and important to society.

(Those who work on the design and construction of Olympic building facilities will help to showcase Australia to the world and deliver a memorable experience at the upcoming Brisbane Olympics. Image: artist impression of the planned Brisbane Arena at Victoria Park. Image source: Games Independent Infrastructure Coordination Authority.)

Grab the opportunity

Overall, Allardyce says that the opportunities are significant.

“I think there is an opportunity that’s in front of us,” he said.

“We just have to continue to shape it.

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