“It’s an exciting time to be in construction,” said no one, for a very, very long time. But, as with most things of late, what was down is now up, and what was once an industry on the brink can now look forward to the kind of growth that added an astonishing $900 billion to the United States economy in the first quarter of 2020.
Fair enough, that was a deliberate lead because the pandemic worked a terrible effect on the construction industry, but that’s all looking to change. The industry has evolved in the same way that almost every other industry has had to, by force. There was no natural evolution in any of the methods our global economy has changed over the last 18-months, and it sure doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon.
Like the rest of us, the construction and engineering industries have had to change, so we will look at some of the industry’s trends to ensure that they can keep constructing our post-Covid world.
Health and Safety
In an industry that hasn’t always had the best reputation in these fields, there has been a massive undertaking to evolve with the rest of the globe in these challenging times.
Though hardly a new things at construction sites before the onset of Covid-19, face masks are now the standard. Along with temperature scans and regular coronavirus testing, and stricter workplace cleanliness, in some ways, the pandemic has been beneficial for workers as for many businesses, these new protocols have been an overall improvement.
But for more exciting news than facemasks, there is now an increased use of futuristic tools such as drones that inspect hard-to-access areas. Robots capable of handling injury-inducing tasks like bricklaying or scaffolding construction are also increasingly commonly used.
We’ll see environmental sensors that detect noise, heat, and wind at construction sites to warn workers about natural disasters, enabling evacuation and the safe removal of constant equipment.
Exciting News for the Labour Market
As the overall industry recovers, so does the demand for workers, but what’s particularly interesting here is who it is that’s filling these new jobs.
There is a 94 percent growth in female-owned construction firms in the period 2007 to 2018. More than that, 30 percent of construction companies promoted a woman to a senior position in 2018.
A Rise in Demand for Contractors
This is particularly interesting if you have been out of work for some time and are already in the field or if you’ve been thinking of a change and making it on your own. If this is you, you’ll need to seek qualifications and certifications.
You might need some help with a construction licence exam prep, and you’ll want to make sure that you can take on quality training commensurate with the field you mean to enter, but there is no reason you can’t take advantage of this.
These have been some of the most unprecedented times our plant has seen, certainly in our generation, and we’re all going to have to see how we navigate this new landscape. Changing careers, whether by choice or not, has been forced on many of us but take the plunge, grab the bull, and you may just be pleasantly surprised.
