As of July 2018, the construction industry’s unemployment rate in the United States is 3.4 percent, the lowest it has been in at least two decades. Jobs have been multiplying almost too quickly to be filled by qualified workers. These shortages can lead to roadblocks in projects by adding to the expense and length of construction.

Congress and the White House have been making efforts to bring more skilled laborers to the workforce with actions such as reauthorizing the Perkins Act. Also, programs are being brought to high school students and young adults to teach them the necessary skills to begin a career in construction.

To stomp out the labor shortage fire before it catches wind, companies in the industry are taking the initiative by seeking out groups of people to train who otherwise aren’t being utilized to the fullest as a resource in the industry. This means reaching out to groups such as young adults, at-risk-youths, veterans, and women, to bring them the training necessary for a career in construction. Read Brian Gallagher’s article in Manufacturing.net to learn more.

In the real world, one mistake on a construction site can mean the end of someone’s life; there is no room to learn by trial and error. But using virtual reality, without doing anything other than slipping on a headset, companies can train their workers in safe job-site practices. Virtual Reality can submerge the users into an artificial world that feels real and three-dimensional, in this case simulating a construction site. This place for workers to practice working in a setting that may be dangerous or new is going to transform the construction industry.

In Laurie Cowin’s article “App Uses Virtual Reality to Address Fall Protection”, she outlines how useful virtual reality will be in preventing accidents on construction sites as well as help in the training of safe practices. The use of virtual reality could be a huge boost in on-site safety.