Building Materials Industry: Where is it Headed?

Dragging bricks in scorching heat to the deafening sound of machinery while a thick layer of dust forms on your skin. Does working in the building materials industry have to be like this? No, because economic, technological and social advances have changed the world of work forever. The results are attractive working conditions and many new areas of work.

In the race for the products and markets of tomorrow, the industry has made vast strides in recent years. This is reflected, for example, in the increasingly networked and digital production process. Like other industries, the building materials sector uses new technologies to manufacture products more efficiently and to offer its customers services with added value. Examples range from artificial intelligence and big data analyses to augmented and virtual reality, including the use of 3D printing and robots. The profile of jobs in the industry is changing as a result. Processes in the industry are becoming increasingly automated, shifting the type of skills required from manual to technical.

The concept of Industry 4.0 is blurring the boundaries between digital and physical work processes. Automation can make manufacturing faster, more convenient and more precise. However, this requires new skills and job profiles. Digital skills in particular are in greater demand than ever before. As the creative minds behind the machines, employees must be increasingly able to keep an eye on everything that is going on in the background. They must be capable of making complex decisions and dealing swiftly with unexpected challenges. 

Technological progress increases the demand for skilled workers: According to estimates of the European Commission, job opportunities for highly skilled people will grow by more than one fifth by 2025. IT experts are already on the fast track. Their responsibilities include, for example, developing software solutions, implementing digitalization projects, providing ongoing support for IT systems and training users.

But technicians and engineers also have to be “digital ready.” There is increasing demand for employees who have expanded their skill set beyond their own discipline – from engineers with software skills to those who write their own programs. Areas such as materials development, production optimization and quality control offer interesting career prospects.

In modern manufacturing, data is generated and evaluated to increase efficiency and save costs. Employees with big-data expertise are therefore especially valuable. People who can analyze and interpret large volumes of data are much sought-after on the labor market.

Climate change and the energy crisis are also impacting jobs in the building materials industry: The decarbonization of the entire value chain, solutions for efficient water and energy management as well as ecological construction and refurbishment are core issues, as are the circular economy and biodiversity.

This is increasingly putting the spotlight on professions that deal with sustainable materials and environmentally friendly methods. In the world of Green Jobs, this includes experts in the field of chemicals, material sciences and environmental technology.

But it is not only the jobs on offer that are changing. The ways in which people work together are also being transformed. As a result, New Work concepts are becoming increasingly popular. These primarily focus on giving employees greater flexibility and autonomy. An aspect initially only associated with working from home and white-collar jobs, is now increasingly common among manual workers, in other words, in the production environment. In 2022, this prompted wienerberger to introduce a four-day working week in its plant in Pinkafeld, Burgenland, at the request of the team there.

Many companies are helping their employees adapt to change with targeted education and further training programs. With the help of self-directed learning, but especially the use of digital tools, the acquisition of new knowledge can be integrated into everyday working life flexibly and in a way that suits each individual. This not only enables employees to deepen their skills, it also opens up attractive career opportunities.