The construction industry’s labor crisis is no longer just an HR problem—it’s becoming an infrastructure challenge. That’s the bet behind a new strategic partnership between Skillit, DPR Construction, and Suffolk Technologies, as major builders begin investing directly in technology designed to modernize how skilled workers are hired and deployed.
Skillit, an AI-powered hiring platform for construction labor, announced a strategic partnership backed by equity investments from WND Ventures, the venture capital arm of DPR Construction, and Suffolk Technologies, the venture capital affiliate of Suffolk Construction. The move positions two of the nation’s largest contractors as strategic partners in Skillit’s effort to build what it describes as the AI infrastructure layer for construction workforce management.
The announcement highlights a growing recognition across the construction sector that labor availability—not materials, financing, or project demand—may be the industry’s most significant bottleneck.
Construction’s Labor Shortage Fuels Demand for New Hiring Infrastructure
The U.S. construction industry continues to face a persistent shortage of skilled craft workers, creating challenges for contractors attempting to deliver large-scale infrastructure, commercial, manufacturing, and energy projects on schedule.
As demand for data centers, semiconductor facilities, manufacturing plants, renewable energy infrastructure, and public works projects accelerates, competition for electricians, carpenters, pipefitters, welders, and other skilled trades has intensified.
Skillit aims to address that challenge by using AI to source, screen, match, and coordinate craft workers more efficiently. The company says it has built one of the nation’s largest networks of vetted skilled labor professionals and is increasingly becoming a workforce solution for major contractors seeking faster access to qualified talent.
“The world’s ambition has outpaced its capacity to build, and today we lack both the skilled workforce and the systems needed to deploy that talent to deliver America’s most mission-critical projects,” said Fraser Patterson, Founder and CEO of Skillit.
According to Patterson, the company’s long-term vision extends beyond recruiting software. Instead, Skillit is positioning itself as a workforce infrastructure platform capable of connecting millions of skilled workers with construction projects at scale.
Builders Become Investors in Workforce Technology
What’s particularly notable about the announcement is who is investing.
Rather than simply purchasing workforce technology, DPR Construction and Suffolk Technologies are taking an ownership stake in the platform’s future development. Both organizations will serve as national-scale design partners, helping shape product development and workforce deployment workflows.
The approach reflects a broader trend emerging across industrial sectors, where employers are increasingly investing in talent technology platforms that address structural workforce shortages.
“As a self-performing contractor, we understand firsthand how complex and dynamic the skilled craft labor needs are across our projects,” said Eric Lamb, Board Member of DPR Construction.
Lamb noted that construction hiring must become more connected, responsive, and aligned with real-world jobsite requirements, areas where AI-powered workforce platforms can provide measurable operational advantages.
For construction firms managing projects across multiple regions, labor forecasting and deployment have become strategic business capabilities. Delays caused by labor shortages can impact project timelines, profitability, customer satisfaction, and future contract opportunities.
Why AI Is Becoming Critical for Skilled Labor Hiring
The construction industry has historically lagged behind sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology in workforce digitization. Many hiring processes still rely heavily on fragmented staffing networks, referrals, spreadsheets, and manual coordination.
That model is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain as workforce demographics shift and experienced tradespeople retire faster than new workers enter the industry.
“Construction’s workforce challenges require new infrastructure and smarter systems,” said Jit Kee Chin, Chief Technology Officer at Suffolk Construction and Managing Partner of Suffolk Technologies.
According to Chin, labor has become one of construction’s most constrained resources, making the ability to identify, attract, and deploy skilled workers a critical competitive advantage.
The growing use of AI in workforce management reflects a larger trend across HR technology, where organizations are adopting automation and predictive analytics to improve recruiting efficiency, workforce planning, and talent deployment.
In construction, however, the stakes are particularly high because labor shortages directly affect physical project delivery.
Building a Talent Network for the Frontline Workforce
Unlike many HR technology platforms designed primarily for office workers, Skillit’s focus is on the frontline workforce that powers construction, manufacturing, logistics, and other skilled-trades industries.
Diana Kay, Partner at Suffolk Technologies, described the opportunity as much larger than construction alone.
“In an era defined by renewed investment in physical industries, Skillit is creating the foundational talent network for the 80% of workers who don’t sit behind a desk,” she said.
That observation aligns with a broader shift occurring across workforce technology. While enterprise software has traditionally focused on knowledge workers, investment is increasingly flowing toward solutions designed for deskless employees, who represent the majority of the global workforce.
For HR leaders and workforce strategists, this trend signals growing demand for platforms that can help recruit, engage, schedule, and retain frontline talent at scale.
Why It Matters
The partnership underscores how workforce technology is evolving from a support function into critical business infrastructure.
As labor shortages continue to challenge construction firms nationwide, platforms capable of connecting qualified workers to projects quickly and efficiently could become as essential as project management software, procurement systems, and scheduling tools.
The momentum behind Skillit appears to be accelerating. Beyond DPR and Suffolk, the company says leading contractors including Swinerton, Mortenson, and Brasfield & Gorrie are expanding adoption of its platform across national operations.
If the construction industry increasingly views workforce access as an infrastructure problem rather than a recruiting problem, Skillit’s latest backing may represent more than a funding milestone. It could signal the emergence of a new category of AI-powered labor infrastructure designed to support the next generation of large-scale construction and industrial projects.
For an industry racing to build everything from data centers to clean energy facilities, the ability to deploy skilled workers efficiently may ultimately become one of its most valuable competitive advantages.
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