Autodesk expands learning resources
By Adam Freill
Construction Labour SoftwareSoftware firm aims to boost digital skills of construction teams in the office, trailer and field.
(Photo courtesy of Autodesk)
As part of its strategy to provide customers with digital tools for a competitive advantage in the market, Autodesk has launched the next phase in its effort to upskill current construction workers and help the industry engage the next generation of prospective recruits.
The construction labour shortage and digital skills gap are global challenges. Globally, a recent Core Research survey commissioned by Autodesk found most professionals attributed recruitment challenges to a lack of available skilled labour (59 per cent) and a subset of this group, 43 per cent, believes labour is available, but company recruitment efforts are unable to attract the right talent.
To help its customers and the construction industry more broadly address challenges around the digital skills gap, Autodesk has launched two new programs: Construction Master Class and the Autodesk Construction Cloud Learning Center.
Construction Master Class provides online tutorials from industry leaders that are free to everyone. Hosted by top construction experts, the videos provide practical insights to empower participants with best practices on workflows and career advancement. Topics addressed through the mix of personal stories, use cases and examples of “what not to do,” include how to deliver critical project outcomes like better cost control, improved quality management and standardized field collaboration workflows.
Autodesk Construction Cloud Learning Center houses easy-to-follow courses that are free to everyone and translated into five languages on how to use Autodesk Construction Cloud products, including Autodesk Build, Autodesk Takeoff and Autodesk Docs. Since the launch of the Learning Center in the spring of 2021, there have been more than 42,000 course enrollments with registration from 134 countries.
“As we have all acutely felt, the industry is facing major obstacles when it comes to hiring and retaining labour and skilled trades workers,” said Ronald McGuire, program administrator at the International Training Institute. “There’s huge demand not just for labour in and of itself, but for workers who have digital skills under their belt. Project-ready professionals need to be adept at using technology on the jobsite and in the trailer, as well as in the office. Autodesk’s learning resources will enable us to upskill current members and provide new ones with the right tools to get quickly up to speed.”
