Civil Construction Workers: Technical Training for Complying with a Market Demanding Sustainability

Abstract

Brazilian building construction involves millions of formal and informal workers without technical skills and/or specific training. This study aimed to analyze building workers technical profile and estimate its impact in both their performance and the efficiency of sustainable actions within the companies/contractors. A questionnaire was developed and applied to workers, in order to search their school level, practical experience (basic skills), level of technical qualification (technical skills), level of addiction, wages, construction techniques, program on sustainability, productivity, training programs, level of re-work, amount of waste, overtime performed, difficult in leadership, resistance to the use of equipment for individual safety, the level of accidents, and motivation factors. Results showed that most surveyed companies/contractors do not adopt sustainability programs for worker's education; but those that offer these programs were not successful. Most companies offer more particular training for specific activities, but they are insufficient for the worker, and it only solves a restricted need. However, the lack education that enables learning and reduces the performance also decreases the changes of implementing environmental directed training programs. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2014.