Survey Finds 75% of Entry-Level Construction Workers Lack Formal Training
The survey of 500 workers ages 18 to 35 examined onboarding, knowledge transfer and attitudes toward workplace technology.
- By Danielle Naidu
- Sep 25, 2026
Three-quarters of surveyed entry-level construction workers reported lacking formal training, highlighting challenges employers face when preparing new workers and transferring knowledge from experienced employees.
The finding comes from the Construction Knowledge Gap Report released by STACK Construction Technologies. Censuswide surveyed 500 U.S. construction professionals with three years or less of industry experience.
The survey found 82% would be more likely to remain with an employer long term if the company invested in technology for capturing and sharing workplace knowledge. That included 90% of respondents ages 18 to 25 and 77% of those ages 26 to 35.
Workers also identified operational consequences when needed expertise was unavailable. Project delays were the most common response, cited by 34%, while 26% said those delays contributed to costly mistakes.
About 51% believed their leaders viewed artificial intelligence negatively or did not prioritize it, while 24% saw AI as a possible tool for addressing knowledge gaps. Another 25% said younger workers seeking new tools encountered resistance from more experienced decision-makers.
The online survey was conducted from Aug. 19 to 25, 2026. Responses were weighted to represent U.S. construction workers ages 18 to 35 with no more than three years of industry experience.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.