While construction remains a manual industry at its core, digital capability is fundamental to employability, progression, and productivity.
This research was carried out in the context of wider sector change, including the government’s Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC) initiative, and seeks to highlight practical insights to support colleges, training providers and partners. This work also sits within the wider direction set out in the government’s Post‑16 Education and Skills White Paper, which positions construction as a priority sector and emphasises the need for colleges to deliver employer‑aligned, technologically current provision.
The findings below bring together key themes from the interviews, outlining current digital practice, future skill needs, and the challenges and opportunities facing construction education.
TL:DR
- Construction remains a practical, hands‑on industry, but digital skills are now central to employability, progression and productivity.
- Colleges are already embedding digital skills through industry software such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital portfolios, mobile technology, simulations and, in some cases, drones.
- Digital tools support assessment, evidence capture and employability, including CV building, professional networking and showcasing work.
- Many learners are likely to become self‑employed, yet digital business and financial skills such as invoicing, record‑keeping and tax returns are not always a clear or consistent part of provision.
- Stronger employer and higher education partnerships, modular learning and targeted Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities are needed to better prepare learners for a changing construction sector.
Current digital skills
A wide range of digital skills are already embedded within construction programmes, particularly to support the capture of assessment evidence, the use of industry‑standard tools, and the development of employability skills.
Colleges reported using industry‑standard software such as CAD (Computer Aided Design), ArchiCAD and BIM (Building Information Modelling), particularly within higher‑level courses. Drones are also used within some higher‑level programmes for surveying and inspection, although it was noted their use is not yet fully embedded or consistent across the college.
Some colleges are using immersive rooms and desktop‑based simulations to support learning in areas including:
- fault finding
- surveying
- customer service interactions
- mathematics and English
- specialist subjects such as retrofitting, electric vehicle installation (in homes), and heat pumps
To support the use of immersive rooms, our Extended Reality maturity toolkit offers practical guidance to help colleges plan and implement the use of immersive technologies effectively.
This use of simulation also presents opportunities for cross‑departmental collaboration. One college highlighted how learners from a media department had developed digital scenarios and learning content for construction courses, either as part of their coursework or through extracurricular activities.
Digital skills play a central role in the course assessment. Learners are required to submit a digital portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that they have met the key course / skill requirements. Mobile phones and iPads are commonly used to capture videos, photographs and scanned documentation, which are uploaded to platforms such as OneFile, SmartScreen, Padlet, and Showbie. Learners and tutors can add reflections to this evidence, and progress can be shared with awarding bodies, parents and, in some cases, potential / future employers. The growing importance of digital evidence and record‑keeping in construction is also reflected in wider industry discussion around digital skills passports. According to FE Week (2025), digital credentials could improve verification and safety on construction sites, helping employers quickly confirm workers’ skills, while reducing the risks associated with paper‑based/ forged documentation.
Given that many learners are likely to become self‑employed contractors on completion of their studies, colleges are supporting the development of practical digital skills for running a business. This includes using digital communication tools such as email, capturing and managing digital media, and accessing files and information on mobile devices. Learners also use platforms such as LinkedIn to support CV development and professional networking, alongside basic media creation to showcase completed work and promote their services.
Learners are often encouraged to use platforms such as YouTube to work independently and build resilience by finding solutions to practical problems. However, this raises challenges around media literacy, particularly in helping learners identify safe, accurate and high‑quality instructional content. Following unsafe or non‑industry‑standard advice could have implications for both learner practice and the safety of future customers.
Future of digital skills
Interviewees were asked to consider what digital skills construction learners will need in the future. Looking ahead, responses consistently highlighted that digital capability will become increasingly critical to self‑employment, on‑site working practices, and the wider transformation of the construction sector. This reflects wider national skills policy, with the Post‑16 Education and Skills White Paper emphasising that learners must be equipped to meet future labour market demands shaped by digital/technological change.
For self‑employed workers, digital skills were viewed as essential rather than optional. Future construction workers will need confidence in using digital tools to manage their work and businesses on a day‑to‑day basis. In addition to communication, self‑promotion and showcasing work, interviewees emphasised the growing importance of understanding financial and business operations. This includes completing online tax returns, managing online banking, using accounting or finance software, and handling digital business documentation such as quotations, proposals and compliance forms. Administrative processes on site are also becoming increasingly digital, including online risk assessments, ordering materials, and completing digital log sheets or worksheets.
Digital technologies are expected to play a growing role in on‑site practice. Interviewees highlighted the increasing use of mobile devices to record and manage work, including geo‑tagging faults and snags, documenting progress, and communicating with clients, supervisors and contractors. Drones were frequently cited as a key future technology, particularly for surveying land and buildings, inspecting difficult‑to‑reach areas such as roofing, and assessing building performance issues such as heat loss and energy efficiency.
More broadly, the construction sector is undergoing ongoing technological change. Emerging approaches such as robotic bricklaying, modular construction delivered by cranes, and 3D‑printed concrete structures are beginning to influence how buildings are designed and constructed. While these methods are not yet widespread across the UK, interviewees recognised their growing relevance and the need for learners to be aware of these developments. Although many manual trades will remain hands‑on, increased automation is expected to improve productivity and change the nature of some roles in the construction industry.
Building services, including electrical, plumbing and heating, were identified as areas likely to change rapidly. The move towards digitally enabled, energy‑efficient and intelligent homes will require new forms of digital knowledge and capability, including smart building systems and low‑carbon technologies such as radiant and heating walls.
Several interviewees also highlighted the growing importance of digital design and BIM skills, noting that some employers are already recruiting learners with skills developed in adjacent sectors such as gaming, digital design or media, sometimes in preference to those from more traditional construction routes. In addition, emerging technologies were discussed as having potential to further change how construction work is planned, designed and carried out:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) could support design decision‑making by suggesting building layouts, identifying efficiencies, and helping to improve safety and compliance at the planning stage
- Robotics were discussed in relation to the automated manufacture of materials and the use of machines to carry out routine or safety‑critical checks, potentially improving consistency and reducing risk
- Wearable exoskeletons could support workers when lifting or moving heavy materials, helping to reduce physical strain and improve health and safety on site
- Portable Computer Numerical Control (CNC) routers were described as compact, computer‑controlled cutting machines that can be easily moved and used directly on site, rather than relying on fixed workshop‑based equipment
Challenges
Interviewees identified several challenges in ensuring learners are fully prepared for the digital demands of the construction sector. A recurring issue was the limited focus on digital skills for self‑employment, particularly business and financial operations such as tax returns, record‑keeping and administration. This was seen as especially challenging for lower‑level learners, who may have lower digital confidence but are often expected to progress into self‑employment without sufficient preparation.
Media literacy also emerged as a challenge. As learners increasingly source their own online tutorials and how‑to guides, colleges need to offer support to learners in how to assess the accuracy, safety and reliability of digital content. This is particularly important in construction, where incorrect or non‑industry‑standard procedures can have serious safety implications.
Further challenges related to curriculum capacity and staff capability. Many construction programmes are already content‑heavy, leaving limited time for learners to practise and embed the use of digital tools in a meaningful way. Interviewees reported difficulties encouraging consistent use of software by both learners and staff, particularly where qualification frameworks for construction courses do not explicitly require the development of digital skills. Supporting teaching staff through continuing professional development (CPD) was seen as essential. Interviewees highlighted the need to build staff confidence and keep them up to date with industry‑standard tools and software, and demonstrating where these tools add value to teaching, learning and assessment.
While digital tools such as calculators and apps can support learning, tutors emphasised the continued importance of teaching skills in the traditional way alongside technology. This ensures learners understand processes and can check their calculations, rather than relying solely on digital tools.
Finally, interviewees raised concerns around learner recruitment and progression. Some colleges reported difficulties attracting new learners to construction courses, while others noted that learners do not always progress into industry on completion of their studies.
Opportunities
From the interviews, we considered opportunities colleges may wish to take, alongside initiatives they may already be running. Many of these opportunities focus on strengthening partnerships, increasing flexibility in delivery, and improving learners’ exposure to digital and business‑related skills.
Engagement with local employers, contractors and self‑employed tradespeople was seen as a valuable opportunity to enhance learner understanding of industry expectations. Guest talks and workshops could support learning around self‑employment, including pricing, invoicing and promoting services. HMRC also offer guidance (email updates, webinars, videos) around self-assessment/ tax returns, which learners could be signposted to for when they later become self-employed.
Some colleges described existing partnerships with higher education providers, highlighting these as a positive opportunity to expose learners to emerging technologies and sustainability‑focused practices. Examples included visits to university energy houses and specialist facilities, where learners could see low‑carbon technologies, smart systems and innovative building approaches in use. Interviewees suggested that expanding collaboration with HE could further support progression and raise learners’ awareness of how construction roles are evolving.
Modular learning was also seen as an opportunity, where learners could select units aligned to specific roles or specialisms within construction. This could support reskilling and upskilling for those already working in the sector, enabling access to new techniques or technologies without the need to complete a full qualification, as construction roles continue to evolve.
Interviewees also identified opportunities to upskill both staff and learners in digital literacy. INSET/ teaching and learning days, communities and digital champions were seen as a practical way to build staff confidence with digital tools commonly used in construction. There was also interest in making greater use of immersive technologies, such as Bodyswaps, to help learners develop communication and customer service skills in realistic, low‑risk scenarios. Teaching staff also expressed a desire for bite‑size digital literacy resources tailored to construction learners, which could be easily embedded into existing programmes.
Recommendations and conclusion
The research highlights two areas where construction education could continue to develop as digital practices become more common across the sector.
One clear theme is the need to prioritise digital skills linked to self‑employment. Many learners are likely to work for themselves in the future, yet skills such as managing online documentation, invoicing and tax returns may not be focused on in some construction courses, particularly for lower level learners. Greater visibility of these areas could help learners feel more prepared for work. Colleges could build on this by working with local employers and tradespeople to share real‑world approaches. They could also introduce learners to accounting or administrative software, and signpost existing online resources.
The findings also highlight the need to increase learners’ awareness of emerging technologies. Construction largely remains a practical industry, but technologies such as smart homes, low carbon systems, BIM and digital site tools are becoming more relevant. Even where use is limited, understanding these areas can support learner confidence and progression. As buildings become more digitally enabled, electricians and fitters will also need skills beyond traditional electrical work. This includes a working understanding of Wi‑Fi, basic networking and device integration to install and maintain systems such as smart heating, lighting and security. Alongside basic cyber security awareness to ensure systems are set up safely. Partnerships with local higher education institutions could help provide learners with access to specialist technologies and facilities that are not always available within FE settings.
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Acknowledgements
With thanks to staff from Crawley College (Chichester College Group), the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Harlow College and Tameside College for supporting this research.