Construction faces rising retirements, while at the same time AI is reshaping the skills the industry needs. Arman Gukasyan, founder and CEO of Revizto, argues that rather than tackling these issues separately, the answer lies in a connected workforce strategy
It’s no secret that construction is facing a series of converging workforce pressures. In the UK, the workforce is ageing: the average age is now over 42, around 35% are over 50, and as many as 750,000 could retire between 2021 and 2036 – adding urgency to bringing in new talent while transferring decades of experience to the next generation.
The same pressure is evident in the US, where the National Center for Construction Education & Research has warned that 41% of the current construction workforce is projected to retire by 2031.
At the same time, AI is changing the skills people need. Anthropic’s 2026 research suggests construction is relatively less exposed to AI than many other occupations, consistent with work that still depends heavily on physical intelligence, real-time adaptation on site and complex human judgement.
But lower exposure does not mean less change. AI is already reshaping how teams interrogate information, automate repetitive work and support decision-making ensuring the ability to work effectively alongside new tools is a vital skill.
Put together, this is a skills gap that’s as much about knowledge transfer as headcount: we need more people entering the industry while making sure decades of expertise doesn’t walk out the door as experienced professionals retire.
How are construction firms responding?
Firms are responding on several fronts at once. Revizto’s 2026 Digital Design & Construction Report, based on more than 2,000 AECO professionals across eight markets, shows firms are combining recruitment with new approaches to skills and productivity, including 44% upskilling existing teams and 40% using automation to reduce manual work.
There are encouraging signs in the talent pipeline too. Data from the Chartered Institute of Building found that 66% of 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK have a positive view of careers in construction, while 30% would consider working in the sector.
In the US, research from the National Association of Home Builders shows interest in construction trades among 18- to 25-year-olds has doubled over the past decade. For an industry that needs to expand its workforce, the opportunity is to attract this generation and equip them with practical skills to contribute from day one.
Preparing the next generation
That matters because digital fluency is becoming an increasingly important complement to traditional technical knowledge. As BIM, virtual design and model-based coordination become embedded in project delivery, the next generation will benefit from arriving on site already comfortable in digital environments.
That shift is already shaping construction education, with students introduced to the digital tools and coordination workflows they will encounter on live projects – object-based models, takeoffs, 2D/3D coordination – before entering the workforce.
The scale of participation points to real appetite for these skills. Since launch, more than 13,500 certifications have been awarded through Revizto Academy, a free, self-directed training programme designed to develop digital coordination skills, with participants across more than 60 countries and over 500 AECO firms. At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, the programme has been incorporated into Construction Management teaching, giving students hands-on experience with workflows used in professional practice.
While certification alone does not equate to professional experience, the numbers suggest that structured digital training is becoming an established part of how people prepare for, and develop within, a technology-driven construction industry.
Preparing the next generation is also about sharing a living knowledge base of how projects are actually run. We work directly with firms on structured training tailored to different roles and workflows, drawing on what we learn from real projects every day. That combination of practical certification and real-world knowledge transfer makes programmes like Revizto Academy not just a training tool, but a way to empower and upskill the professionals who will define this next era of construction.
A new kind of construction professional
For younger workers, that transition may be less dramatic than it sounds. A generation accustomed to navigating immersive 3D environments and complex interfaces through video games, for example, is arguably well positioned to adapt. The challenge is less about teaching people to use software and more about connecting that digital confidence to the realities of project delivery.
This points to a broader change in construction technology roles, which are moving beyond the perception of people simply sitting behind screens producing models. More and more, they sit at the intersection of technology, communication and project management, requiring professionals to understand different teams, manage expectations and translate information between disciplines.
The result is a new kind of construction professional: digitally capable, collaborative and comfortable working across teams – hybrid skills that are likely to become more valuable as the industry digitises and may reshape perceptions of what a career in construction looks like.
Closing the gap
Retirements will continue to take decades of site experience out of the industry, while AI reshapes the skills people need at every stage of their careers. The answer is not to tackle these pressures separately but to build a cohesive workforce strategy: bringing in new talent while teaching digital fluency to the next generation, transferring the hard-won knowledge and judgement of experienced professionals before they leave, and helping existing teams continue developing as workflows evolve.
Firms that do this well will be better equipped to meet the changing demands of construction, now and in the years ahead.
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