Is there a BIM Management skills shortage?
Richard Brayshaw
Construction has bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry will reach 2019 levels of output in 2022. By 2025, the industry will need to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers just to meet demand. [1]
This skills shortage is emphasized when it comes to BIM Management/BIM project support with a real scarcity of BIM Managers, Information Managers and BIM coordinators. With 73% of construction companies now adopting BIM practices on at least some of their projects[2], the requirement for people capable of filling these roles has never been higher.
This is reflected in the job adverts all over social media, in construction journals and online magazines and has led to spiralling wages as architects and contractors compete for people capable of fulfilling the roles. It has also seen under-qualified or inexperienced people forced into roles they are not ready for and taking on the responsibility of ensuring an entire project is delivered to the required standard. Typically, this isn’t ending well for the employee or organisation with costly corrections and disputes impacting already tight margins.
The challenge is that the quantity of people being trained is just not high enough to meet the ever-increasing demand. As always, the only sustainable way to put this right is through education, whether this is bringing fresh blood into the industry or upskilling/transitioning existing employees into these new(ish) roles. But this takes more time than the current demand allows.
In the short term, there may be another way!
Outsource the requirement. Lean on a trusted partner to provide BIM project support and let them take responsibility for BIM management, BIM coordination or Information management on your projects.
Symetri look to support our clients in dealing with this by offering a wide range of consultancy services focused on supporting building owners, contractors, and architects in delivering projects in an efficient and BIM compliant fashion, including:
- ISO 19650 Training
- BIM Level 2 Gap Analysis
- EIR/AIR/BEP Creation
- BIM Management – role fulfilment or consultancy
- BIM Coordination– role fulfilment or consultancy
- Information Management– role fulfilment or consultancy
If you would like to discuss further how Symetri may be able to support your business with BIM project support and deliver projects in a BIM compliant fashion without the need to recruit, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@symetri.co.uk or telephone us on 0345 370 1444.
[1] https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/britain-builds-back-construction-will-need-216-800-new-workers-by-2025-to-meet-demand/
[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1019177/construction-industry-bim-adoption-rate-uk/
