The skilled labor shortage affecting the construction industry is showing no signs of letting up. The difficulty in recruiting younger individuals—particularly the millennial generation—is having a pronounced impact on the composition of the industry. Some firms are turning to apprenticeships and high-school programs to cultivate an interest in the trades at a younger age. Another possible solution to the labor shortage could be robotics, ForConstructionPros reports.
According to GlobalData construction journalist Luke Christou, “The use of single-task robots (STR) in the construction industry has been growing for some time. The use of robotics in construction dates back to 1970s Japan. As young workers turned their backs on manual labor in favor of less dangerous and physically demanding office jobs, Japan’s largest architecture, engineering and construction companies turned to automation and robotics in an attempt to stem a labor shortage. Many of these technologies failed to break ground, and construction’s labor issue persists.
“Labor shortages is just one of many issues that the construction industry faces," says Christou. "Lacking worker safety is another pressing issue, with construction the leading industry for workplace fatalities in many parts of the world. The industry seems largely in agreement that these significant advancements will first focus on removing humans from dangerous tasks. Automation is also likely to take over the tedious tasks, freeing up time for laborers to complete more fulfilling work."
Stuart Maggs, CEO of Scaled Robotics, stresses, “The end goal has to be not just automating tasks that human beings can do, but developing new construction manufacturing methods that are only possible through robotics, opening up new possibilities for building design and performance.”
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