The Interplay Between Apprenticeship and AI

There is undeniably a labor shortage in the construction industry. The unavailability of well trained workers is an even more acute crisis. Apprenticeship programs, including the metal building specific one currently being developed by MBCEA, are a key part of the plan to help resolve the lack of qualified workers. The blinding speed at which AI solutions are advancing and being introduced into the marketplace is accentuating the tension at the interface between the “people side” of the solution to the labor shortage and the “technology side".

There is a plethora of questions that need to be explored and answered in order to make any apprenticeship program work in the age of artificial intelligence. The answers to the questions are not easy. In fact, some of the answers may be unattainable in the traditional sense. These issues are, however, important to consider for apprenticeship programs in the construction market going forward. Here, in no particular order, are some of the important ones:

1. Will AI advance to the point that certain jobs in the construction industry become obsolete, require no human interaction, and it makes little sense to have an apprenticeship program for them?
2. What construction jobs can benefit from the integration of AI to help humans perform their jobs more efficiently and what does that integration look like?
3. How and where (the classroom or field) can AI be integrated into apprenticeship training to improve apprenticeship learning processes and environments?
4. Should the use of AI be integrated into the learning curriculum for apprenticeship programs?
5. How might imbalances between the “technology side” and the “people side” of the solution isolate workers and damage relationships with apprentices, employees, and customers in ways that begin to hurt business?

These are just some of the many questions with which advocates of apprenticeship will have to 
deal in the coming years. Everyone agrees that the outcome should be better projects that are 
delivered on time with good workmanship and no safety issues. The unknown is a determination
of the right mix of apprenticeship training and technology solutions. For this reason, every 
conversation about apprenticeship should probably include some discussion about how AI fits 
into that picture.

Read about the metal building curriculum initiative that will help fulfill the training requirement for apprenticeships. Learn more about MBCEA membership and read additional apprenticeship articles.