We do, but how? Who would be able to afford what we make? It's a given that Robots are the workers, not people. So we will certainly need a lot more programers. Here's a good insight:
Construction industry must embrace tech revolution to avoid a cliff edge
The construction industry stands at a crossroads. We are quite simply not keeping up with the pace of technological change.
Advancements in robotics and automated manufacturing, data analytics and virtual reality are radically transforming the sector and indeed the whole economy. Yet all is not lost. The
fourth industrial revolution – or “Industry 4.0” –could improve productivity levels in construction, increase the number of highly skilled jobs and transform the way that we as a country deliver some of the biggest and most complex infrastructure projects of the future.
Advanced technologies will be integral to projects such as
Heathrow expansion, Crossrail 2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. New and evolutionary infrastructure projects are vital in creating a favourable environment for investment, so are important particularly in times of political and economic uncertainty.
New construction technologies may also contribute to solving the housing crisis, which is arguably the single biggest social policy challenge facing the nation. The UK has no choice but to adapt. A recent CITB report highlights how the construction workforce is likely to change. It suggests that to meet the expected output to 2021, the industry needs to recruit 5,240 employees every year in the occupation category defined as “non-construction professional, technical, IT and other office-based staff”. This annual recruitment rate is almost twice as high as any other job specification. It far outstrips the need for plasterers, construction trades supervisors and even architects.
A report by Mace, the
British consultancy and construction company that I lead, supports this thesis. It highlights that as many as 600,000 construction sector jobs could be replaced by technology in the next two decades depending on speed of technological transformation. There would be significant reductions in the numbers of labourers, bricklayers, roofers and wood tradesmen across the nation, producing new jobs requiring new skills.
It is therefore crucial that the construction industry works to attract, retrain and up-skill the current and future construction workforce in order to fill the jobs created by advanced technology. To avoid a cliff edge this training must start now.
Jobs for robots| How the rise of automation is taking hold
- Premier Foods has introduced 47 robots to pack Mr Kipling cakes
- Japan’s Nagaski became the first hotel to be staffed by robots
- Google’s Boston Dynamics was originally set up to create robots for military use
- Remote-controlled robots designed by Toshiba were sent in to help clean up the Fukushima nuclear plant
- The University of California in San Francisco has introduced robotic pharmacists which so far have zero errors dispensing 350,000 doses
- In farming, Wall-Ye vine-picking robots have been introduced in France to help with cutting, pruning and harvesting
- The mining sector is turning to robots to reach remote and treacherous areas
In our report, we provide an ambitious plan to help create a workforce fit for the future. To begin with, the sector will need to embark on a large-scale, innovative training programme which starts in schools and goes right through to formal retraining. Engagement with new technologies must form a core part of the training programme and early use of groundbreaking technologies in schools should be promoted.
Early interaction with augmented and virtual reality, as well as 3D printing technologies, will develop students’ understanding of new technology from a young age.
Secondly, the non-academic routes through the post-16 education system are very important to the construction industry. These routes are currently undergoing significant reform, from implementing a series of recommendations to technical education made by a panel led by Lord Sainsbury, to the overhaul that is changing the apprenticeship system. On paper, these reforms are well thought through and make sense. However, given the rate of innovation and technological advancement that is now happening, there is a question about how the content of any route through post-16 education can remain relevant. Both traditional apprenticeships and the design of the new “trailblazer” programmes must incorporate the future need for a multi-skilled, adaptive workforce.
Thirdly, there needs to be greater provision for retraining and informing life decisions in all sectors. There should be increased focus on labour market intelligence which can inform construction firms how best to up-skill their workforce to meet future technological changes. This could include experimenting with the data that central government collects. For example, HMRC payroll data could provide insights into how construction firms are managing their workforce, and aid the design of policy.
Industry 4.0 will transform the construction sector, providing greater levels of quality, precision and safety than ever before. New technologies and systems will drive innovation that will enable the sector to overcome its long-term productivity problem. If the construction sector is successful in evolving and adapting,
the productivity boostcould be worth an additional £25bn to the UK economy.
The UK is a lower mid-table country for productivity
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Gross value added per hour worked 2015, % below or above UK's score
nnovations in the sector will contribute to solving some of the biggest global challenges in the world, from designing smart cities and improving air quality levels to increasing energy efficiency in buildings and improving wellbeing with good-quality design.
The construction industry is on the tipping point of radical change. Instead of bemoaning the challenges that lie ahead, the sector must embrace the opportunities that technological advancements will offer. But we need to work in partnership with policymakers, education institutions and each other to ensure that the UK does not fall behind its international competitors. We can do this by harnessing our efforts to ensure that we have a highly-skilled workforce, ready to meet the new and exciting challenges that lie ahead.
Mark Reynolds is chief executive of Mace, the British consultancy and construction company
Rise of the robot brickie: Automation could wipe out 600,000 construction jobs by 2040
New research from Mace predicts 600,000 of the current 2.2m positions in the industry could be automated by 2040 as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” turns the sector on its head.
One of the hardest-hit jobs in the industry is forecast to be bricklaying, with the current 73,000 people doing the job on UK building sites expected to tumble to just 4,300.
By 2040 there will be just 15,500 carpenters and internal fitters, down from 263,000 now, and the number of labourers will plummet from 127,000 to 7,500. Painters and decorators will also be driven out with just 6,500 positions expected in two decades, compared with the current 111,000 roles, according to the study’s forecasts.
