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As I write this article, we are only one day away from the Level 2 2016 BIM mandate and whilst the focus has been on compliancy, case studies and the successes and failures of BIM-enabled projects, we at thinkBIM think it's high time we addressed the elephant in the room - the skills shortage.

The skills shortage in construction has been widely reported by much of our media and with good reason. It has been predicted that the industry will create around 190,000 new jobs by the end of 2018, but there is a growing fear that there will not be the talent within the country to fill them. The lack of new industry entrants, along with a growing gap between older and newer construction generations, has been compounded by an exodus of talented professionals to post-recession growth markets, such as Asia and the Middle East. Here at thinkBIM, we are aware of some fabulous organisations that are trying to redress the balance by attracting young people into our industry (G4C and the impressive Class of Your Own, to name but two) but what are we doing to attract older and experienced workers into the industry? What are we doing about giving our existing workforce the tools to meet these demands?

From 1 April 2016, all centrally funded projects will need to be undertaken using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to the full level 2 standard. In order to be 'BIM ready', companies will not only need to develop new processes, systems, but their employers will require skills and knowledge of digital technologies that many of them simply don't have yet. Yes, there is the option to recruit, bring experienced BIM professionals in to help train and upskill the workforce during the transition, but we believe it is the responsibility of employers to invest in training their workforce and thereby future-proof the industry, equipping the organisation with the skills to be truly collaborative and competitive. Recruitment is just one strategy and, with trained BIM professionals services in high demand, it is always a risky strategy to rely on being able to hire in the skills you need.

With that in mind, thinkBIM has developed a suite of CITB and NCC approved courses to bring your employees up to speed.

INTRODUCTION TO BIM HALF-DAY COURSE
Our popular half-day course provides an overview of Building Information Modelling, presents drivers, needs and benefits of BIM, as well as doing an early diagnostic for your organisation, in order to help identify opportunities and risks. The workshop covers:

• The key topics surrounding BIM and the benefits to be gained from its adoption
• BIM technology
• The impact of using BIM and how to progress with it in your working practices
• How to review your current and future position in relation to BIM
• The software tools available to the construction industry
• How to start using BIM on projects.

thinkBIM has so far delivered introduction to BIM sessions to over 450 people representing 150 different organisations.

BIM FOUNDATION COURSE
A nine-module course; delivered over a day, aimed at all, but principally suitable for Site Operatives and Site Managers who don't currently have an existing route to training through a professional body (ie, ICE, CIOB etc) and who are required to work on BIM enabled projects. This course covers the following topics:

• Overview and Introduction to BIM
• BIM across the life cycle of a Project
• Documents and Standards
• Soft Landings
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Context
• Barriers to BIM
• Managing Data
• Security and Legal Issues

BIM PRACTIONER COURSE
Our 3-day blended learning BIM Practioner course is designed for BIM Champions and/or BIM Managers who are required to have in-depth knowledge of all aspects of BIM and how to implement processes for it to be used on projects. This course addresses the following aspects;

Day 1: This session will introduce BIM and Collaborative working, whole life approach, soft landings, BIM in the global context, documentation and standards, barriers to BIM adoption, the value of high quality data and vulnerability issues.

Day 2: This session will focus upon the development of your understanding of the implications and value proposition of the introduction, and use of BIM within your organisation.

Day 3: This session will focus upon the supply chain and BIM implementation. The learning activities across the course include a mix of self-study, face-to-face seminar and reflective practice.

For any information about these courses or information about how thinkBIM can help you train your employees, please contact Liz Schofield on 0113 812 1902 or by email to: e.a.schofield@leedsbeckett.ac.uk