Canada’s construction industry is facing a workforce challenge that is no longer limited to finding enough people. Contractors also need workers who can operate an increasingly complex stack of digital tools, from BIM and CAD platforms to construction management software, digital twins and AI-enabled workflows. The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) is responding with a new construction technology training initiative developed with Global eTraining, bringing hundreds of on-demand technical courses into its existing learning platform.
The partnership is aimed at a practical problem inside construction companies: technology adoption can move faster than workforce skills.
ICBA’s new initiative gives its members access to Global eTraining’s construction technology course catalogue through ICBA’s existing Learning Management System. The initial offering covers software and workflows used across architecture, engineering, construction and operations, including Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, Forma and Civil 3D, as well as Procore, Bluebeam, Revizto, Bentley tools, BIM, laser scanning, GIS, digital twins, AI and safety.
The significance for HR and learning teams is less about adding another training catalogue and more about making digital skills development part of the normal workforce infrastructure.
Construction firms increasingly have to train employees across different levels of technical proficiency. A project manager may need to understand data flowing from BIM systems, while a designer requires deeper knowledge of Revit or Civil 3D. Field personnel may need proficiency with mobile construction platforms, while senior managers need enough digital literacy to make decisions about AI, automation and data.
A centralized, self-paced training model can help employers address those requirements without taking employees out of the field for extended periods.
The timing reflects a broader workforce problem. BuildForce Canada’s latest 2026–2035 outlook estimates that Canada’s construction industry will need to recruit about 306,200 workers by 2034 because of growth and retirements. Even with an expected influx of younger workers, the organization projects a potential shortage of 34,300 workers by that year.
That makes workforce development an increasingly important part of construction technology strategy.
The skills issue is also changing. Construction companies are not simply hiring for traditional trade expertise anymore. Digital competence is becoming part of the job itself.
Autodesk’s 2025 State of Design & Make research found that 61% of civil infrastructure leaders said employees with the right technical skills were difficult to find, up from 28% the previous year. Across the broader survey, 46% of leaders said AI skills would be a top hiring priority over the following three years.
Yet building those capabilities internally remains difficult. Autodesk found that 48% of respondents said their organizations lacked the resources to design internal training programs. At the same time, investment in continuous learning programs declined to 64% from 71% in the previous year’s research.
That gap is where external digital learning platforms can become strategically useful.
Global eTraining’s model is centered on construction-specific software education rather than generic corporate learning. Its catalogue is designed around the AECO sector and can be delivered on demand, allowing learners to select courses according to their role and current skill level. ICBA also says the catalogue can evolve over time, including new courses and language variations.
For HR leaders, the more interesting question is whether training can be connected to measurable workforce outcomes.
A course library alone does not solve a skills shortage. Employers still need to identify which capabilities are missing, establish proficiency levels, track completion and determine whether training changes performance on projects. The value of a learning platform increases when training data can feed into broader workforce planning and talent development processes.
That is particularly relevant as AI moves into construction workflows.
Autodesk’s research shows that AI adoption in construction is progressing, but implementation remains uneven. Its 2025 construction research found that only 32% of construction leaders surveyed said their organizations were approaching or had achieved their AI goals. The company also reported that 63% of construction organizations were using AI to support sustainability efforts.
In other words, the next phase of construction digitization is likely to depend as much on workforce readiness as software availability.
ICBA’s initiative also reflects a broader shift in corporate learning: organizations increasingly want skills training embedded into the systems employees already use rather than delivered as isolated classroom programs. Integrating Global eTraining’s catalogue into ICBA’s LMS gives members a single access point for learning while allowing the association to expand its technical curriculum over time.
The rollout has already begun, with a broader launch planned for September. ICBA is scheduled to showcase the initiative at its Meet the Generals event in Edmonton on September 29, 2026, followed by its Construction Innovation Summit in Vancouver in November. The organization will also participate with Global eTraining at Autodesk University.
For Canadian contractors, the development points to a larger workforce-management trend. As BIM, cloud collaboration, AI and digital twins become more embedded in construction, digital skills are moving from specialist capabilities toward baseline workforce requirements.
The companies that benefit most may not simply be those that buy the newest technology. They will be the ones that can consistently turn that technology into workforce capability.
Market Landscape
Construction technology is increasingly creating a skills-management problem alongside a technology-adoption opportunity.
The competitive landscape spans traditional classroom training, software-vendor education, specialist construction technology academies and digital learning platforms. Vendors such as Autodesk already provide extensive learning resources around their software ecosystem, while platforms such as Global eTraining take a broader multi-tool approach across the AECO technology stack.
The workforce pressure makes that distinction important. BuildForce Canada says construction represents roughly 7% of Canada’s GDP and employs about 1.6 million people. Its latest forecast expects the industry to require more than 300,000 new workers through 2034 when growth and retirements are combined.
For enterprises, the emerging model is therefore not simply training after software deployment. It is continuous skills development tied to digital transformation, workforce planning and technology adoption.
Top Insights
- ICBA is embedding construction technology training into its LMS, giving Canadian contractors centralized access to software skills across BIM, CAD, AI and digital workflows.
- Canada’s construction workforce faces long-term recruitment pressure, making employee upskilling increasingly important for contractors managing technology adoption and productivity.
- AI is expanding the construction skills gap, with Autodesk reporting that 46% of leaders expect AI skills to become a top hiring priority.
- External learning platforms can fill internal training gaps, particularly when employers lack the resources to build and maintain specialized digital skills programs.
- The initiative signals a shift toward continuous construction learning, where digital proficiency becomes part of workforce development rather than a one-time software implementation exercise.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
