It’s no secret that the industry is dealing with a widespread labor shortage. Because of this, construction companies often find themselves in a war for talent that goes beyond just recruitment. Retention of skilled workers is just as critical.
Attracting people into the industry requires more than just training heavy equipment operators to use machines. It means empowering the next generation with tools that make them feel secure, give them confidence to think critically and, reflect the digital culture in which they have grown up.
It also means providing existing talent with a career path and an opportunity for growth that allows them to feel valued and gives them a reason to stay.
Research shows that workforce development has a positive impact on employee retention. This includes construction, where employees can start as laborers but work their way up to equipment operators or even cross-skill to increase breadth of experience. According to FMI’s latest talent development report, 43% of survey participants don’t prepare a formal annual training and development budget even though 89% of them face talent shortages.
Part of the solution is viewing training as a long-term investment. Simulation offers solutions for each stage of an operator’s career, including:
- Recruitment;
- Assessment;
- Training; and
- Upskilling/cross-skilling.
Recruitment
Simulation-based training provides a unique opportunity to engage young workers with innovative technology.It provides a glimpse at how how high-tech this career path is, thwarting the the stigma of being low-tech, dangerous, dirty and low-paying. It also opens the door to a more diverse workforce by introducing different gender, age, ethnicity and disability groups to the trade in a more approachable way where practical training isn’t limited to stressful baptism-under-fire instruction.
Heavy equipment simulators provide future talent with a clear idea of what a career as an operator can look like from the front lines, but in the safety of a classroom environment.
Assessment
Matching the right skills with the right job is crucial to ensuring a safe and efficient worksite. Sending people to a jobsite without knowing what they can or can’t do has the potential to be life threatening and extremely costly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 60% of construction workplace injuries occur in the employee’s first year of employment. Simulation allows organizations to evaluate the skill set of new recruits before putting them on real equipment. Moreover, simulators can typically be paired with an instructor operating station. This remote workstation can be set up in the classroom or a different location and allows the instructor control over the training scenarios.
Training
Because equipment operators come with a wide variety of experience, skills and requirements, training should be tailored to the needs of each individual. Attempting this in the field is costly, time-consuming and often weather dependent. Simulation improves the student-to-teacher ratio while still maintaining personalized instruction. The ability to train year-round and allow students access to a variety of exercises without having to take the real equipment out of operation is another invaluable asset that positively affects the company’s bottom line.
With heavy equipment simulators, the training never stops. Everything from the weather to the density of the soil and machine faults can be replicated all while mimicking real machine behavior. Trainees don’t have to wait for the right project to experience various scenarios such as a tandem lift, loading a dump truck or digging a trench for pipe laying. Put simply, training on a heavy equipment simulator is real-world experience in a stress-free environment where learning from your mistakes is encouraged.
Upskilling and Cross-skilling
Ongoing training and development are an integral part of boosting morale and retaining a qualified workforce. According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers. Attracting the younger generation to the industry means providing them with opportunities to upgrade their skills and grow in their careers. A formal workforce development program that prioritizes upskilling and cross-skilling can do just this.
Investing in Training is an Investment in the Future
The benefits of simulation-based training go beyond fuel savings and minimizing equipment wear and tear. It demonstrates an organization’s commitment to investing in human capital right from the start. Leveraging the right technology in training is one way to ensure a steady flow of skilled labor for years to come.
