Young Constructors’ Forum banks on innovation to accelerate post-COVID recovery of construction industry

The island’s construction sector annually contributes as much as 7% to the country’s Gross Domestic Production and is the fourth largest contributor in terms of employment, according to a report published by the Construction Industry Development Authority of Sri Lanka (CIDA),

However the pandemic has had a major impact on ongoing construction project pipelines and the workforce in the sector. The entire industry had to adapt rapidly to navigate this previously unknown territory and rethink workers’ safety, supply chain processes, designs, integration of digital solutions, and more. Further, challenges gradually compounded as stringent trade controls were imposed, posing value chain disruption risks due to Sri Lanka’s high reliance on imports for the construction sector.

“The construction industry is controlled by three main factors, which are time, cost and quality. The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on time and cost due to implications following state-imposed health protocols and policy changes,” said Young Constructors' Forum former President Shanika Cabraal in a media release.

“However, most of these challenges were overcome with resilience due to innovation and agility on the part of developers and the committed workforce who were forced to adjust. In terms of skilled labour, we also noticed an uptick in workers switching to careers in construction which was a promising turn of events,” she added.

To overcome the numerous roadblocks, the industry accelerated the adoption of technology and stringent health protocols to ensure the safety of job sites and workers. A transition to remote working was made to support social distancing and maintain business continuity. Digital approvals were permitted to minimise interaction, and IT support was provided remotely. Further, SMS gateways were implemented to share official information from the Management/HR departments, while tools such as video conferencing were enabled for meetings and training sessions.

“All of us in the construction industry aim to drive transformational change and continue to deliver significant economic impact by integrating strong and well-thought-out innovation to streamline our processes and accelerate development. In fact, even within the YCF, the pandemic has ignited more open conversations on how we can make the industry more attuned to technology and even other critical needs such as sustainability, diversity and inclusivity. Members in our forum have even lead discussions with key stakeholders of the government to ascertain both short and long term plans to revive the industry. As a powerful coalition of young blood in the industry, we are confident of our ability to create value, empower communities, and help mitigate global challenges in construction,” said President of the Young Constructors' Forum, Anisha Dharmadasa.

The Young Constructors’ Forum (YCF) is a group of young professionals representing the leading construction firms in Sri Lanka. The Forum’s mission is to come together to voice and discuss the concerns and promote innovation within the next generation of engineers and constructors.