Robert W. Glover

The divergence in aggregate and activity estimates of US construction productivity

Discrepancies exist between aggregate and activity productivity measurements in the US construction industry. Multiple studies using aggregate industry measures suggest that construction productivity has declined over the long term. A longstanding problem with the aggregate measures concerns the difficulty of controlling for inflation so as to accurately measure real output. As an alternative, average activity productivity, measured by individual work activities, indicates that construction productivity has increased over the same time period. Activity measurement data have been collected for 200 construction activities over a 22-year time period from commercial estimation manuals used by contractors and owners to estimate the cost and time requirements for construction. This paper examines the discrepancies between aggregate and activity measurements and suggests possible reasons for their existence.

Registered Apprenticeship Training in the US Construction Industry.

Purpose – This paper aims to compare the performance of building trades apprenticeship programs in the USA, sponsored jointly by employers and unions, with those sponsored unilaterally by employers. It reviews enrolment and graduation rates, including participation of women and minorities. The article also looks behind the numbers to examine the operation of apprenticeship. It reviews the evolution of joint programs, including institutional arrangements and recent innovations to cope with the challenging characteristics of construction labor markets.Design/methodology/approach – Statistical comparisons by type of program sponsor are carried out using individual‐level data on registered apprenticeship for the period 1996‐2003. Evolution of apprenticeship programs is discussed in a historical perspective.Findings – Joint programs (with union participation) were found to have much higher enrolments and greater participation of women and ethnic/racial minorities. Joint programs also exhibit markedly better pe...

Implementing a multiskilled workforce

Recent studies show the construction industry in the USA is facing a long term labour shortage. Multiskilling has been suggested as a strategy to address this issue by utilizing existing workers more efficiently. Multiskilling decreases the number of workers hired for a project and can improve productivity. Additional benefits include higher income and increased employability of the workforce. To take full advantage of these benefits, the workforce strategy and the planning and scheduling processes of a construction project must be adapted to use multiskilling effectively and efficiently. The multiskilled workforce should be scheduled and organized to maximize the duration of employment for workers, reduce the overall labour requirements and cover the skills combinations required by the project. This research synthesizes and formalizes the methods that successful construction companies are currently applying to implement a multiskilled workforce. A methodology for implementing multiskilling is outlined as well.

Analysis of the benefits and costs of construction craft training in the United States based on expert perceptions and industry data

The case for or against craft training in construction from the perspective of constructors, owners, governments, workers, and other stakeholders is not completely clear, despite several studies to date. The business case for investing in construction craft training is examined from the employer’s perspective on a construction project. A survey of 93 training directors and construction managers from throughout the US construction industry was used to collect quantitative estimates regarding craft training benefits and learning rates. Using these data, a benefit to cost ratio was calculated for a hypothetical typical industrial project (the CII model plant). According to the analyses, the estimated benefit to cost ratios range from 1.5:1 to 3.0:1. While these ratios are based on expert opinion, the results were triangulated with actual data from company training and project performance records as well as results from other research studies. The estimated benefit to cost ratios on the study’s hypothetical industrial project are sensitive to the craft workers’ employment duration, assuming that the training is provided by a single employer. Training durations are likely to be longer under a ‘community training’ model in which firms collaborate to sponsor training and workers have greater opportunities to continue in their training programme as they move from firm to firm. Nevertheless, the results contribute to a growing body of evidence that an investment in craft training is economically attractive for an employer, even over a typical project life cycle.

A Revolutionary and Structured Approach to Construction Work Force Management: The Tier II Strategy

Shortages of skilled construction workers and their consequent impact on project performance have been reported with increasing frequency over the last few years. Several diverse factors have contributed to the problem, including decreased real wages, transient nature of work, poor industry image, lack of training, and lack of a worker-oriented career path. Various studies to address individual issues have resulted in limited successes. However, none of these approaches has comprehensively addressed all the issues within a single framework. The Center for Construction Industry Studies (CCIS) at The University of Texas at Austin has proposed a work force management strategy, referred to as Tier II, to address the need for a comprehensive approach to the problem. Projects executed under the Tier II strategy would utilize fewer, better-educated and skilled workers who perform craft functions and some lower-management functions and receive higher compensation, while delivering improved or comparable project results. With the participation of industry leaders, labor organizations and experienced highly skilled craft workers, the strategy and its implementation metric have been developed. The metric has two broad categories: (1) project worker skills and (2) project execution. To date, baseline data has been gathered from 12 industrial construction projects located in seven states within the USA, including surveys from over 500 workers. An equivalent number of projects are scheduled for gathering additional data by the end of 2002. Preliminary findings suggest a strong potential for implementation of the Tier II strategy as a structured work force management strategy under which the technical and management skills of workers are recognized, utilized, and remunerated. Refining the Tier II strategy is an objective of gathering current baseline data. If proven successful, this strategy will mitigate the shortage of skilled workers while maintaining or improving project performance.

Analysis of Observed Skill Affinity Patterns and Motivation for Multiskilling among Craft Workers in the U.S. Industrial Construction Sector

Previous research has shown that multiskilling strategies can increase productivity, quality, and continuity of work and can also help mitigate craft shortages through better utilization of the existing workforce. Using extensive craft certification and skills data, the writers apply correlation and cluster analyses to identify actual patterns of multiskilling among craft workers using two separate data sources. The results of the cluster analysis indicate that current craft skills aggregate into four groups: civil, mechanical, electrical, and general support. It is also observed that acquiring mutually supporting skill set pairs significantly drives multiskilling strategies in practice, thus diminishing the relative impact that duration on project has on driving multiskilling practice, despite its importance in previous literature. Still, comparing the observed multiskilling patterns obtained from the skill affinity analyses with multiskilling strategies proposed by previous studies generally reinforces ...

The Tier I Construction Work Force Management Strategy

The shortage of skilled construction workers in the United States is a long-term and structural problem that at times may be alleviated slightly during a recession but will continue to worsen as time progresses. The reasons behind the shortage are numerous, ranging from a poor image of the industry, to declining real wages, to poor work environments and the lack of a stable worker career path. Incentives and wage increases represent some of the solutions used to address the situation but are difficult to sustain without a comprehensive, long-term strategy to support them. An alternate approach is the Two-Tier work force strategy. Developed with senior industry advisors and researchers from the Center for Construction Industry Studies (CCIS) and the Construction Industry Institute (CII), it is comprised of two work force management strategies, Tier II (CCIS) and Tier I (CII). Tier II is designed to improve workers’ skills and productivity creating a situation where the value of the workers is increased (Borcherding et al, 2001). The goal of this increased value is increased wages and longer careers in the industry. The other strategy, Tier I, is designed to efficiently manage an existing workforce, regardless of its skill level. The focus is on organization, communication, and utilization of field management. Both strategies are defined by metrics that measure the degree of implementation. The metrics represent the ideal goal of the strategies without prescribing the methods of implementation. Both the Tier I and Tier II implementation metrics must be tested and refined using baseline data. Approximately 25 projects have been volunteered and at the time of this paper, data has been collected from 13 projects with over 500 construction workers interviewed. The characterizations of the workforce and the preliminary Tier I findings are presented in this paper.

The German Apprenticeship System: Lessons for Austin, Texas

With a strong economy bringing skill shortages in technical jobs, Austin, Texas, has sought to learn the essentials of the German apprenticeship system for the development of its local youths and to help resolve labor supply problems encountered by local employers. Going beyond the conventional research and study tours, Austin has invited direct participation from European training experts and has established an apprentice exchange for Austin youths with the Chamber of Small and Medium-Sized Firms and Crafts in Koblenz, Austins sister city in Germany. The Capital Area Training Foundation, an industry-led, nonprofit corporation, was formed to guide the development of the school-to-work system through its affiliated industry steering committees established in each of the regions major industry sectors. These steering committees decide on the industrys approach to working with schools, confirm industry skill standards and curriculum frameworks, provide career information, and organize opportunities for active career exploration and work-based learning.

Building an apprenticeship and training system for maintenance occupations in the American transit industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the joint training and apprenticeship system emerging in maintenance occupations in the US transit industry, its challenges and strategies to overcome them.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on early results, including efforts to develop a consensus national framework for apprenticeship and training in transit maintenance. In the paper, training is an arena that both management and labour have common interests. Collaboration in training can foster partnership and improved labour‐management relationships. Implementing technological innovations and organisational changes in workplace practices are facilitated by training and together with training demonstrate strong positive financial payoffs.Findings – The paper finds that the training and apprenticeship system discussed is not yet fully implemented.Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that several industries in America and other countries are facing similar shortages of skilled ...