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THE IMPACT OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING INTENSIVE TRAINING

ON GRADUATES’ EMPLOYABILITY AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Conference Paper · August 2018

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 IGCESH2018
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia 13 -15 August 2018

THE IMPACT OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING

INTENSIVE TRAINING ON GRADUATES’ EMPLOYABILITY AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Aimi Sara Ismail1, Kherun Nita Ali2, Noorminshah A. Iahad3, Nur Emma Mustaffa4 and
Badiru Yunusa Yusuf5

1, 2, 4
Department of Quantity Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, MALAYSIA.
(E-mail: aimisara.ismail@gmail.com, b-kherun@utm.my, b-nuremma@utm.my)
3 Department of Information System, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, MALAYSIA.

(E-mail: minshah@utm.my)
5Department of Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, NIGERIA.

(E-mail: badiru.yusuf@gmail.com)

ABSTRACT

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an emerging technological process which highly promotes
a better collaborative working environment in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction
(AEC) industry. It is essential that the Higher Education (HE) sector innovates its education
system to integrate between different disciplines in the AEC industry to encourage the adoption of
BIM. In conjunction with this, BIM Intensive Training was conducted for a selected number of
final year undergraduate students in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. They were assigned a real
time construction project, utilizing BIM software applications for model authoring, model review,
4D modelling and project coordination. It was observed that the participants were able to
overcome various challenges through information sharing and team collaboration. A BIM
coordination workflow was produced during the training to assist them in organizing their work.
Although their existing knowledge of BIM and their skills using the software applications were
quite limited, they were capable in learning expeditiously as the assignment provided them with
real-world problems. A year after the training, it was discovered that more than half of the
participants believed that the training helped them to secure their employment and to perform their
current involvements in BIM-based projects. However, there are participants who could not
utilize the training as they are not involved in any BIM-based projects. This is because many
firms in Malaysia are still grounded to the conventional process. Hence, the establishment of a
dynamic and continuous collaboration between professionals and HE sector must be done more
vigorously to transform the traditional structure of AEC industry into a more collaborative and
technological approach.
Key words: Building Information Modeling, Collaborative working, Education

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INTRODUCTION
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is becoming more prevalent in the Architecture, Engineering
and Construction (AEC) industry for information exchange and sharing [[1]]. It is imperative that
the construction players possess high proficiency in BIM and competence in using relevant
software applications as well as breaking through from their own silos to create a better
collaborative working practice. However, the current education practices rarely adopt BIM in
the academic teaching and learning process, where students from AEC disciplines learn with
limited integration between the disciplines [[2]].

This paper presents a study conducted on participants who were involved in BIM Intensive
Training. This training was conducted for a duration of two weeks at Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia, participated by 23 final year undergraduate students from AEC background.
Throughout the training, the participants were assigned a real time construction project, utilizing
Autodesk Revit 2015, AutoCAD 2014, Naviswork Manage 2015 and Microsoft Project 2015.
Observation method was carried out to analyse how the participants execute the assignment, their
team management, collaboration and problem-solving techniques. A year later, telephone
interviews with the participants were conducted to identify the impact of the training to their
employment and working environment.

MAIN RESULTS

Based on observation, it was evidently clear that the participants were driven to execute the
assignment based on definite project objectives. The participants work together between
different disciplines led by a BIM Manager appointed amongst the participants while guided by
the trainer and contractor of the project. They were able to produce a BIM coordination
workflow to organize their work as shown in Figure 1.

Throughout the training, we observed that the participants were faced by challenges to perform
their task. The most prominent challenge was their existing knowledge and skills in Autodesk
Revit and Naviswork Manage were very low. Therefore, huge efforts were required from the
participants to quickly learn the software while executing the tasks. In addition to this, they also
had limited understanding of BIM management, coordination and collaboration. Fortunately,
since they were required to deal with real-world problems through the assignment, they could
grasp the knowledge within a short period of time. Another challenge was that the network could
only cater for a limited number of users causing difficulties in information sharing among team
members. Nevertheless, the team members found a solution by creating copies of the central
model and working in small groups based on their work disciplines and further collaborate the
models to create a final model.

Based on the telephone interviews a year after the training, it is revealed that 57% of the
participants claimed that the training has positive impact on their career while 43% stated that the
training does not contribute in their career advancement. Many of those who believed the training
brings positive impact to them, professed that it helped them to secure their employment and was
presented as an added value during the job interview. The training also provides them leverage to
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accelerate the learning process at the start of their employment and aids them with adequate
knowledge of the correct BIM implementation in projects. The other 43% of the participants
declared that the training is not beneficial because, one, they are not involved in any BIM-based
projects, and two, the companies have limited knowledge of BIM. This is due to the low
adoption of BIM in Malaysia which is at the rate of 10% compared to United States, United
Kingdom and Singapore [[3]].

Figure 1. BIM Coordination Workflow.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it can be summarized that the training has helped the students to have thorough
understanding on BIM as well as to prepare them for a BIM-based working environment.
However, there are still many firms in Malaysia which are yet to embrace BIM and still grounded
to the conventional ways. Hence, future works should concern on the establishment of a dynamic
and continuous collaboration between BIM-based companies and Higher Education sector. This
will eventually transform the traditional structure of AEC industry into a more collaborative and
technological approach.

Acknowledgment: The authors would like to thank Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

(VOT number: 15H96) for supporting this research.

REFERENCES

[1] Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Liston, K. (2011). BIM Handbook A Guide to Building Information
Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors (2nd Edition). New Jersey: John
Wiley & Sons.

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 [2] Shelbourn, M. A., Macdonald, J., & Mills, J. (2016). Developing an International Framework for BIM
Education in the HE Sector. In 10th BIM Academic Symposium & Job Task Analysis Review (pp. 43–51).
Florida.

[3] CIDB. (2015). Construction Industry Transformation Programme 2016 -2020. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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