December 6, 2024 Revolutionizing Skilled Trades with Technology

Employers must adapt to attract and develop young workers as skepticism about college’s return on investment continues to grow.

By Kyle Spencer, Director of NFPA LiNK at NFPA

Adapting to Gen Z Expectations: Leveraging Technology

Gen Z has grown up in a digital world, so it’s fitting that they expect to see technology integrated into their work environments. For them, technology isn’t a disruption; it’s a vital tool for creating efficiencies and growth. A recent NFPA survey found that 82% of skilled trades professionals use digital tools daily to streamline training and development. From optimizing daily tasks to providing robust methods for upskilling, the impact of technology on the skilled trades industry is endless.

To successfully recruit younger workers to the skilled trades industry, organizations must prioritize engaging these workers through technology investments. This can include leveraging digital tools to enhance learning and streamline day-to-day processes, as well as fostering continuous workforce development opportunities for the next generation of professionals. By demonstrating a commitment to integrating technology into the core of their business models, organizations can meet the expectations of Gen Z while positioning themselves as forward-thinking and innovative environments that value growth and efficiency.

Spurring Industry Growth with Effective Technology Implementation

With all the recent buzz around artificial intelligence, it is important to understand how this technology can assist workers in the skilled trades industry, while still requiring a human touch. NFPA survey data highlights a significant industry trend: 31% of industry professionals indicated that AI will be key in attracting a younger workforce. This statistic highlights the opportunity for organizations to position themselves as technology leaders in a field that’s traditionally seen as manual and labor-intensive.

There are some areas of the industry that are already adopting AI-powered tools designed to streamline tasks and reduce labor shortages. For example, semi-automated robotic solutions are transforming job sites by completing time-consuming tasks such as drilling and detecting obstructions within structures.  Twenty-five percent of respondents from the NFPA survey believe AI will help fill gaps by automating repetitive processes, freeing up workers to focus on more complex, engaging work. This is just one example of how AI enables workers to use innovative technology to elevate their job functions beyond manual labor.

The Importance of Digital Training for Workforce Retention

Organizations that are quick to adopt AI within their day-to-day operations, such as integration of digital tools into their training and development programs, will capitalize on attracting the next generation of skilled trade workers. By incorporating AI-powered agents and immersive technologies like virtual reality simulations, organizations provide workers with accessible and personalized learnings that advance skill acquisition and problem-solving abilities.

Technology’s greatest impact on the skilled trades industry lies in its ability to streamline training and development programs for future workers. NFPA survey data shows that 98% of respondents believe digital tools simplify the training process, while 70% say lack of time is their biggest barrier to advancing their skills. Digital tools offer a solution by making training flexible and accessible.

Digital integration in training modules or job-specific applications allows workers to develop their skills more dynamically. By deploying technology-first training programs, skilled workers can learn on the go and on their own time. This not only includes various formats of training, from online to live-virtual, but can apply to real-life scenarios on the jobsite. For example, digital tools can provide skilled professionals access to interactive, industry-specific content through situational navigation. So, if a young professional is on-site, they can view their current environment – whether it’s a patient room in a hospital, a classroom in a school, or somewhere else – and see exactly where certain codes and standards may apply. This enables workers to effectively and efficiently problem-solve on-site without the need to call a supervisor or go back to their vehicle for their code book.

Organizations are also increasingly adopting alternative training methods, such as virtual reality (VR) within certain programs. This technology places skilled trade workers in an immersive, hyper-realistic simulation of critical job functions while eliminating the stakes of the situation entirely. In this situation, workers can get an accurate sense of what the jobsite will look and feel like while training for certain scenarios in a controlled environment, better preparing them for the job while ensuring safety during the learning process. Organizations that adopt technologies like these will be better positioned to appeal to a younger generation of skilled workers and to retain those workers for the long-term.

A Digital Future for the Skilled Trades Industry

It should come as no surprise that Gen Z and younger skilled trade workers find training methods that utilize virtual reality more appealing than taking the traditional approach to training by sitting in a classroom. Through placing skilled trade workers in these simulated environments, they obtain tangible knowledge that they can directly utilize in real-world situations. By integrating digital tools, AI, and immersive technologies like virtual reality, organizations create a more appealing, dynamic, and efficient work environment for younger generations looking to join the skilled trades industry.

About the Author:
For over 4 years, Kyle Spencer has been working alongside his peers at NFPA to develop NFPA LiNK®, providing digital access to codes and standards. Now serving as the Director and Product Owner of NFPA LiNK®, he oversees the strategic direction for the application and helps support ongoing development and content creation efforts. Kyle has spent over a decade working in the electrical products industry, learning from engineers and installers on how to make the products they use more efficient.

Subscribe to Industry Today