‘Shortage of skills in the US affecting retrofit projects’

Ted Jacob

Dubai, UAE, 14 October 2018: While speaking on the construction market, Ted Jacob, President, Ted Jacob Engineering Group, highlighted a lack of skilled MEP and construction personnel in the United States. He said retrofitting and energy efficiency are given significant importance nowadays and retrofitting existing buildings is a complex task, requiring skill and experience.

Highlighting the situation as a major roadblock coming in the way of both new and existing projects, he said: “Today, it has become difficult to replenish positions, especially those of project managers. After the market crashed in 2008, students were hesitant to take up engineering, which has resulted in the shortage.” Education, he said is necessary and students and engineers need to know the opportunities in the field.