Description
2IntroductionBuilding information modelling (BIM) is at the forefront of digitalisation in the architecture, engineering, construction and owner/operator (AECO) industry.The BIM market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%, from USD4.5 billion to USD8.8 billion during the forecast period of 2020–2025. This growth has resulted in new work practices, with the roles and responsibilities related to BIM gradually becoming established professional positions within the AECO industry [1]. Leaving the question of BIM benefits aside, this development presents the AECO industry with challenges on multiple fronts. Chief among them, in seeking to increase BIM adoption, is the need for companies to recruit employees with requisite skills to work on BIM-enabled projects, hence the ever-present and always vexing demand for “BIM-savvy professionals” [2]. In the short term, construction companies can resort to outsourcing BIM tasks to fulfil their immediate needs. From a long-term, strategic perspective, the most viable solution to the lack of professionals with BIM capabilities is to provide an ongoing pipeline of BIM-ready graduates, most of whom would be from universities. Industry sources recommend BIM education as a foundational activity, a critical need for both industry and academia and a priority due to the apparent skill shortage. Therefore, BIM training is placed among the top three priority areas of investment by the AECO industry [3].Despite significant advancements in the development of BIM education in Australia, only restricted offerings are available from universities and training institutions [4]. Evidence shows existing curricula, if any, remain in their infancy. The available programs vary significantly in quality and content across universities and disciplines. The variety in standards for BIM pedagogical delivery and assessment methods across institutions could lead to different perceptions among graduates in terms of their learning and behaviours when in actual BIM practice. It is also questionable whether intended learning outcomes (ILOs) are aligned with the needs of the industry. Thus, even the best BIM programs might fail to provide BIM-ready graduatesAdditional information
Given this scenario, a coalition of BIM practitioners, educators and service users joined together to form a community under the umbrella of the Australian BIM Academic Forum (ABAF). The formation of ABAF is a response to address the disparity in BIM education by reaching convergence on consistent content, while embracing the needs and requirements of the industry in terms of access to BIM-ready graduates. What follows in this framework is the outcome of many meetings, two job task analysis (JTA) workshops and ongoing discussions with a wide range of educators and practitioners across the AECO industry in Australia.| Period | 2022 → … |
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| Work for | Deakin University, Australia, Victoria |
| Degree of Recognition | National |