As April 2022’s Salary Guide and ensuing debate highlighted, the UK construction industry is facing a serious resource challenge. This, of course, is not news – at DBE.Careers, we have been warning of this tight recruitment market for some time. However, as seasoned BIM recruiter Mike Johnson from Johnson BIM points out, “Good BIM talent has become so scarce that I believe the market is moving from over-heated to aggressive.” The answer to this conundrum, especially when companies want to keep a cap on salaries, is trainees.

The seriousness of this problem has been recognised at a national level, with the Government and CITB taking action to address it. The Government’s recent Skills Bootcamps offered free training in digital construction, while the CITB is also funding schemes to boost skills and engagement. As part of our commitment to supporting the BIM industry, DBE.Careers has worked with these schemes to create a Trainee Directory that employers can access. All this is welcome news for candidates interested in pursuing a career in BIM. But is it enough to increase the number of trainees to the level required, or do employers need to take the lead in attracting new talent to the industry?

Communicating the BIM message early

A common thread throughout the Salary Debate, and a point that our participants strongly agreed on, was the need to do more work earlier on to raise awareness of BIM as a career. Nick Leach, Head of Digital Construction at Sir Robert McAlpine, explains, “There’s a lack of awareness in education that there’s an actual career [in BIM]. I don’t think people see that it’s a viable option. There’s a lot more that can be done at grassroots level to raise that kind of awareness.” While there have been some improvements, with a few digital construction specific courses on offer, and some traditional degrees incorporating BIM as a module, Nick feels there is still a way to go. BIM is a highly complex and fast-moving field, which is perhaps hindering wider incorporation into further and higher education programmes. Nick draws attention to the work of the UK BIM Alliance in writing Plain English documents to make BIM more accessible at an earlier level, enabling people to really grasp what it’s all about, before embarking on more technical training.

Chris Crookes, MD at BIMBox, agrees, and also highlights that BIM as a profession is still relatively new, with significant variation in job titles, career pathways and expectations. “When you’re 17, 18 or 19 you’re looking for a pathway. We’ve not actually decided what we’re going to call this job yet, let alone where it goes, and it’s up to organisations to really set that in stone. We need to unify how we’re going to sell this message.” It’s about establishing a compelling and consistent story around BIM, as well as raising awareness.

Providing the resources for effective training and development

There is another question for a budding BIM trainee: are companies willing to take you on and invest in the training and mentoring you need? With few construction courses covering BIM, and a lack of digital courses offering construction experience, employers need to plug the gap and provide the comprehensive training required, rather than only seeking candidates with both.

Bright, motivated and talented candidates can find themselves stuck in the age-old Catch 22 of needing experience to gain experience. Nick talks of the importance of skills and attributes such as initiative and working well in a team, which candidates can demonstrate through other achievements, and the need for employers to hire people based on their potential rather than waiting for someone who has managed to gain experience. Companies who are willing to do this may well reap the benefits of recruiting high quality candidates who are more than worth the return on investment of their training.

As Chris says, the first six months of a trainee’s employment are effectively a write-off in terms of earning while they learn and build their skills. Whether roles are project funded or not, many experienced BIM professionals are currently extremely stretched as their limited numbers struggle to meet client demand, with little time to spare to provide mentoring and development. It’s a vicious cycle: with cost pressures, growing demand and a shortage of talent, few companies are willing to provide the resource to take on trainees, but if they don’t, the numbers within the industry will remain stubbornly low.

Both Chris and Nick agree that prior to Covid-19, the BIM industry in the UK was propped up by talent from the EU. Much of this talent departed during the pandemic and has not returned, owing to more complex requirements post Brexit and a weakened economy. Until employers view trainees as an essential investment, and provide the resources required, the situation is not going to improve.

There are, of course, external organisations that can support employers with formal training, such as White Frog, the CITB’s Digital Construction Skills, RICS and Operam Academy. But there is little substitute for the day-to-day mentoring that only working with more experienced colleagues provides.

Attracting and retaining trainees

The final piece in the puzzle of boosting trainee numbers – and ultimately BIM professionals – is offering a career where candidates can clearly see progression, in terms of their development, responsibility and salary. For those companies who are forward thinking enough to do this, DBE.Careers offers a way to showcase themselves as Good Digital Employers – demonstrating their credentials in developing digital skills and offering a clear career path, to attract trainees and hold onto them after they have invested in their training.

DBE.Careers also provides a range of career mapping tools and resources, which are an excellent starting point for employers. We are also in the process of producing more comprehensive tools for skills assessment and development – register for updates with more information as these are released. Client-side demand for BIM is only going to grow, making it a smart career choice for individuals interested in any aspect of construction or design. Employers need to ensure that they are in the best position possible to attract and retain talented trainees right now, to give them the BIM professionals they need for the future.

With thanks to Chris Crookes, MD at BIMBox, bimbox.co.uk and Nick Leach, Head of Digital Construction at Sir Robert McAlpine, www.srm.com

Vacancies to fill?

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