How Online Learning Is Building The Construction Industry

Building and construction might be a hands-on industry, but with advances in technology, the benefits of online learning are becoming increasingly clear.

For busy professionals looking to get ahead in their careers, or businesses wanting to make sure their employees are up to code, online learning is a smart and convenient option.  

Let’s look at what online learning involves, what the benefits are and how it’s helping transform the building and construction industry.   

How does one learn construction online?

Put simply, online learning is a way of getting qualified without needing to attend a traditional classroom environment. For many people (and businesses), it’s a more convenient and cost-effective way of getting educated.

In the building and construction industry, online learning is a diverse arena. There are many colleges, TAFEs, universities and other providers that offer online learning – and the courses you can take are incredibly varied.

But as the construction industry becomes more and more complex, with advances in technology, new rules and regulations, and changes in national building codes – the need to stay educated is crucial, and online learning is a simple way of achieving this.

When it comes to studying building and construction courses online, there are many short courses you can take, across a range of fields, such as:

• National construction codes
• Health and safety
• Commercial
• Legal
• Company administration
• Technical
• Accounting and finance
• Business
• Computer applications
• Design and composition

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In some institutions, students can also study full courses online – including building and construction apprenticeships, certificate programs, diplomas and university degrees.

Online learning is becoming more widespread – and for good reason. To give you an idea of how it’s building the construction industry, let’s dig a little deeper into the benefits.

Learning from anywhere

Perhaps the greatest benefit of online learning in the building industry is that you can learn from anywhere. In most cases, all you need is a computer and solid internet connection.

This is convenient for both students and employers. For students living in rural or remote areas, or those with busy lives outside of work, it’s not always possible to get to where you need to be. But online learning is bridging this gap.

With the flexibility to learn from anywhere, you can create your own space to study in – at home, in a café, or at your local library. No matter where you set up, studying online allows you to weave your education into your day-to-day – without falling behind in other areas of your life.

For construction industry employers, convenience should never be underrated. By using online learning resources, employers can implement training on the go – taking advantage of downtime to provide their employees with extra training.

Large construction firms will often operate in multiple locations, in different cities and even different countries. Online learning makes it much easier for employers to educate their people – no matter where they are in the world, and without the logistical nightmare of getting everyone to attend in-person training sessions.

Saving money

Online learning tends to cost much less than classroom-based learning, which is convenient for both students and employers.

With online courses, you don’t have to spend as much money on stationery, books, uniforms or other materials associated with classroom-based learning. Over time, these costs can really start to stack up.

Plus, the costs of sending employees off-site for training is much higher when compared to online learning. Among other expenses, there is travel, fuel, parking, airfares, hotels and more to consider.

When you cut out all these associated costs, the money that’s saved can go towards other learning opportunities.

Access made easy

When it comes to online learning, everything is just a mouse click away. No matter what time of day it is, you can often just jump online to find the information you need.  

For students, this ease of access is a huge benefit – especially when the structure of the course is self-paced. This allows you to go over anything you might have missed the first time around, wrap your head around difficult concepts, or simply build on your knowledge.  

This format makes also makes it easier to balance other areas of your life – helping you squeeze in other commitments (social, work and family) without falling behind on your learning.

This ease of access helps to build a better work environment. Not every employee consumes content at the same speed, but by having the option of self-paced learning available, it gives them greater control over their education – which helps boost confidence and productivity.

Onboarding and retention

From an employer’s perspective, online learning helps with employee orientation. That is, introducing new people to the working environment and giving them the rundown on what they need to know before starting.

While this is slightly different to studying building and construction courses online with accredited providers – the same principles apply. If a company has implemented an eLearning management system, they can deliver information such as:

• Operating procedures
• Policies
• Guidelines and restrictions
• Company values
• Professional ethics
• Workplace discrimination issues

The convenience of online learning means that employees have more opportunities to get ahead in their career. By having access to knowledge they need – when they need it – employers benefit from more switched-on employees who can confidently carry out the tasks they need to perform.

The more educated employees are, the happier and more productive they are likely to be – which can improve staff retention in the workplace and greater consistency in the industry.

Building a better industry

In an industry that’s becoming more complex by the day, online learning is helping to simplify matters – for individuals hoping to kickstart or get ahead in their careers, and companies looking for better ways to remain competitive.