The construction industry is approaching a major shift, with 29% of the workforce expected to retire by 2026. As experienced professionals exit the workforce, they take decades of institutional knowledge with them, creating an urgent need for companies to capture and transfer this expertise to new, younger workers before it is lost. At the same time, those new workers face mounting pressure to gain expertise faster than previous generations.
The divide between tech-savvy younger workers and seasoned professionals who rely on traditional methods presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
Industry leaders like Layne Hess, Corporate Director of Planning and Scheduling at Jacobsen Construction, and Sean Perry, Account Operations Manager at Fluor Plant and Facility Services, are tackling this challenge by combining mentorship with Touchplan, a digital collaboration platform that’s helping bridge the gap between generations.
The Fear of the Unknown
“Our issue is the generational knowledge gap,” says Hess. “You have the ‘old dogs’ who still refuse to use email, and the younger ones coming out of school, brimming with technological expertise. Both groups have incredible knowledge— they just need a better way to share and integrate their expertise.”
However, integrating new technology into a field steeped in hands-on expertise isn’t always easy. Many veteran professionals are apprehensive about innovative platforms like Touchplan.
“I had guys who were yelling at me because they were afraid of the software. They were afraid of technology,” Hess recalls. These workers, highly skilled in field operations, feared that transitioning to digital workflows would expose a lack of proficiency or diminish the value of their experience.
Perry witnessed similar resistance. “I had a scaffolding trade partner show signs of stress in the middle of a Big Room. And what he didn’t want to say was, ‘I don’t know how to access this platform on my iPad.’” His frustration appeared to stem more from unfamiliarity with the solution than the technology itself.
Many seasoned workers also worried that moving from whiteboards and paper schedules to a digital system would make their hard-earned expertise obsolete. Others simply felt overwhelmed by learning new software, leading to disengagement.
Building Confidence in Digital Solutions
To overcome these challenges, Jacobsen Construction and Fluor introduced Touchplan as a collaboration solution, not a replacement for experience. Their strategies focus on equipping both younger and older professionals with the resources to bridge the gap between experience and new technology.
Hess implemented a mentorship-driven approach, training younger engineers first and assigning them as on-site tech guides. “The role of an engineer in a Room is to assist with technical support, not to engage in scheduling decisions,” he explains. As a result, senior professionals retain decision-making authority while gradually becoming more comfortable with the technology.
Perry’s team takes a proactive approach with mobilization and readiness checks before planning sessions or design events. “We have a coordinator who will reach out one-on-one, and there’s a pre-flight checklist they will review in a very safe space,” he says. By providing customized assistance, Fluor ensures workers feel supported rather than overwhelmed, making it easier for them to integrate Touchplan into their workflows.
Empowering the Next Generation of Construction Leaders
With Touchplan, young professionals are gaining early exposure to vital decision-making processes, accelerating their careers and positioning themselves as future leaders.
During planning meetings, junior engineers provide hands-on support to help superintendents build confidence with the platform. This approach allows superintendents to focus on their construction expertise while the younger team members gain valuable experience and mentorship through direct interaction. “They’re witnessing decisions being made, how they’re being made, where they normally wouldn’t hear it,” says Hess. “Now they’re integrated and helping people, which accelerates their learning.”
Before Touchplan, it often took a very long time for new hires to understand the full scope of planning and coordination. Now, this learning curve has shortened by at least 25%, Perry estimates, as younger professionals gain real-time insights from seasoned mentors.
The Future of Collaboration in Construction
The success of Jacobsen Construction and Fluor in bridging the knowledge gap proves that technology does not have to divide generations; it can unite them. By fostering acceptance and learning, providing structured training, and leveraging the differing expertise of both generations, these companies have enabled continuous knowledge sharing.
Touchplan plays a pivotal role in preserving institutional knowledge and fostering cross-generational collaboration. It transforms the expertise and insights of veteran workers, often stored in their heads or notebooks, into accessible, persistent digital data. This as-planned and as-built information becomes a powerful resource for younger professionals, enabling them to learn from the captured knowledge of experienced workers, even after they have left the job site. At the same time, experienced workers who may not be as tech-savvy gain the opportunity to master a solution that helps them work more efficiently and productively.
