Successful Owner BIM Deployment Depends on BIM-related Degrees and Training

 

What is the single greatest challenge surrounding BIM adoption in the AEC industry?

Finding talent, according to a recent Autodesk survey.

"There's a small pool of possible hires and a lot of competition among local construction firms. It's difficult to find people educated in BIM," says Hung Nguyen, Senior Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Process Manager at Herrero Builders.

If you are in the AEC industry, these statements come as no surprise. Finding a BIM-skilled professional is complex, and 63% of trade contractors find themselves outsourcing their BIM roles to fulfill their internal BIM needs. But it isn't entirely unexpected. BIM has proven itself to not only be one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools in the modern AEC arsenal, but it has passed the threshold of an "emerging solution" and found its way into the mainstream tech stack. Adopting BIM isn't only for the largest global healthcare systems with a penchant for progressive tech and a massive R&D budget. It's for everyone. BIM helps you stay competitive. In 2017, 96% of large architectural and construction firms had already adopted BIM. Today, mid-market and small firms have all jumped on board as BIM nears universal adoption.

As BIM rides a tsunami wave of growth, higher education is quickly evolving to keep pace. However, BIM job opportunities are growing fast.  Between 2017 and 2020, BIM job opportunities saw a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13%, and current projections put the CAGR at 14.3% between 2020 and 2027. The AEC industry needs more BIM-centric professionals to take advantage of labor and cost-saving opportunities.  And it's no surprise, because unlike many other emerging technologies in the AEC sector (e.g., IoT, neural AI, VR, etc.), the value of BIM isn't mid-horizon; it's rapid, impactful, and highly measurable.

Fortunately, higher education is delivering. Over the past few years, we've seen an explosion in BIM courses in higher education. For AEC firms looking to upskill, cross-skill, or train new employees, there's now a wealth of opportunity at universities across the globe.

For those considering BIM as a career opportunity, a more-than-desirable job placement paired with strong salaries and incredible job security is in your future. Many colleges see a near-perfect job placement rate for CAD-related careers, and BIM shares similar prospects. For example, Purdue University shows a job placement rate of over 80% and an average salary of over $50,000 for their BIM program graduates.  There are now over 50 universities offering AEC courses with a focus on BIM. From The University of Florida and Virginia Tech to Vanderbilt, BIM has quickly become a de-facto lesson in the AEC syllabus.

Starting a career in BIM has never been easier.  If you are looking for a career in BIM, or hoping to cross-train your in-house team of professionals into any aspect of BIM, reach out to us at vbono@buildwithproactive.com and learn more about our ProactiveBIM Platform and our virtual (or in-person) training programs.