Construction industry issues aired during city forum
More incentives, the involvement of third parties and a digital approach were needed to tackle challenges in the construction industry, a recent forum focusing on the role of NGOs in city construction and development of builders was told.
The forum, part of Wednesday's launch ceremony for the promotion campaign of the 2021 World Cities Day, attracted government officials, social organizations and companies to brainstorm city construction.
It was hosted by Longfor Foundation which organizes courses to lift the vocational skills of builders and provides scholarships for the children of construction workers.
Pay, service and care on city construction sites have noticeably improved, while aging is posing a serious challenge, said Wu Xiansheng, a representative of city construction workers who now manages nearly 1,000 workers.
Speakers address the construction industry forum.
"Young people are not willing to do the job, and the aging workforce is a big challenge, calling for more involvement and solutions from social forces," he said.
There are about 50 million construction workers in China and they are confronted with long working hours, poor work environment, aging and insufficient technique training. The factors restrict the development of the industry, experts said.
City constructors are the backbone of urban development, and experts said more efforts are needed for them to enjoy the benefits of the city's development.
The digital transformation of the traditional construction industry is important, and can attract more professionals and stimulate the vitality of the industry, said Tian Jing, a technology app developer.
The application of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, big data and cloud computing will empower digital transformation and tackle long-term reliance of human monitoring and management in the industry, improving efficiency and regulating the industry, said Tian.
Song Wenlong, an official at Shanghai Housing Administration Bureau, shared the city's green building practices at the forum and their aim to create comfortable, safe and clean communities.
