Development and assessment of the Tier II work force strategy implementation index

The construction industry has been experiencing a major challenge in its work force, “the shortage of skilled craft workers.” This problem has been caused by several factors such as the poor image of the construction industry, lack of training and education, unclear career path, declining wages, and changing work force demographics. A “step-change” approach called the “Two-Tier Work Force Strategy” has been proposed by the Center for Construction Industry Studies (CCIS) Work Force Research Team to deal with the work force related issues in a radical way. It is composed of two separate strategies, Tier I and II, and will provide a structure for long-term progress toward an improved work force. This research characterizes the Tier II Work Force Strategy and develops its Implementation Index to measure the level of Tier II strategy implementation on projects. The Tier II strategy utilizes fewer, better-educated, and higher skilled workers who perform some lower-management functions in addition to craft functions. They are paid more, but produce more through higher skills, stay on the job longer through multiskilling, and deliver improved project performance in safety, quality, schedule, and cost. The Tier II Work Force Strategy Implementation Index is composed of two major divisions: (1) Individual Worker Skills Index and (2) Tier II Project Index. The Individual Worker Skills Index assesses the skill level of an individual worker in both technical and management skills. The Tier II Project Index is divided into two parts: Project Workers Characteristics and Project Execution. The Project Workers Characteristics part assesses the skills of key crafts on a project regarding their technical and management skills. The Project Execution part assesses the effective use of skilled workers in executing the project and is divided into three categories: IT Utilization, Craft Utilization, and Organization. Validation of the Tier II Work Force Strategy Implementation Index as a viable tool is a major focus of this research. For this purpose, five data sets collected in accordance with the Tier II metrics are presented and analyzed. It can be concluded from this research that the Tier II Strategy Implementation Index is a viable and easy-to-use tool for immediate use in the industry. Recommendations for future research and users of the index are provided. The Tier II Work Force Strategy has the potential to resolve the current work force problems and foster a better work force environment in the future.