Abstract
The decline in apprenticeship in both the public and private sectors, the increasing use of sub-contractors as well as the uncoordinated approach in the informal sector are contributing factors to the shortage of skilled artisans in the construction industry. Artisans training can be introduced and implemented through the adoption of progressive implementation of construction processes commencing work from areas requiring low skill demands to areas of high skill demand. The success of this principle hinges on the collaborative effort of the key project stakeholders. The client should be willing to absorb extra cost and delays in the project; the design and contract documentation should facilitate on-site training, and the consultant actively guide the contractor and the construction processes to achieve the training objectives. The exploratory research method was adopted in this study and research revealed that this principle was used in a project in the UK and in the development of infrastructure in the tourism industry of South Africa .It is being recommended that the principle be adapted by the public sector for the development of small size infrastructures that can be repeated in many places. This will boost the quality and quantity of artisans, enhance employability, reduce rural urban migration and alleviate poverty.Keywords: Skilled artisans, on-site training, progressive construction processes, project stakeholders, contract documentation.
Highlights
The demands of training artisans on-site in terms of cost, commitment, low initial return on investment and piracy are some of the factors restraining many construction firms from active participation
Though the public and the formal sector are not too active in training artisans and the informal sector‟s approach is not coordinated, the approach being experimented by the medium size firms in South Africa- the progressive implementation of construction processes- holds potential solution to the dearth of skilled artisans in the construction industry
The two projects investigated adopted the principle of progressive implementation of construction processes as a means of training artisans on-site, using different approaches but achieved similar results
Summary
The demands of training artisans on-site in terms of cost, commitment, low initial return on investment and piracy are some of the factors restraining many construction firms from active participation. Though the public and the formal sector are not too active in training artisans and the informal sector‟s approach is not coordinated, the approach being experimented by the medium size firms in South Africa- the progressive implementation of construction processes- holds potential solution to the dearth of skilled artisans in the construction industry. The principles involves the active participation of the design team, client and the contractor commencing construction work from areas that require low skill demand and progressing to areas of higher skills demand.
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