Drivers of change in construction training: How significant is the sustainability agenda?

The construction industry is contributing to the sustainability agenda through numerous strategies to improve energy efficiency in the design, materials, and operating conditions of buildings. However, this is only one driver of change in the construction sector. This article, which takes Australia as a case study, shows that many other drivers are also important. Among them are the growing importance of building information management systems, and the trend towards the factory manufacturing of components and onsite assembly in construction. Rather than see these as competing drivers of green construction, the article argues that the emphasis on soft skills in these drivers can be used, within the training context, to reinforce the sustainability and green skills agenda. © 2014 UNESCO IBE.