What Leaves When Experience Retires by Marlon Amele

Construction talks a lot about recruitment, skills shortages and bringing new people into the industry.

What gets discussed less is what leaves when experienced people retire.

A vacancy can be advertised. Someone else can take the title. A replacement can be appointed.

But years of experience do not transfer that easily.

I have worked across new build, housing, planned works, refurbishment and project delivery, on both the client and contractor sides of construction. One thing I have seen throughout my career is how much knowledge sits with the people doing the work.

Construction produces a lot of paperwork.

Drawings, specifications, programmes, surveys, certificates, meeting minutes and inspection reports.

All of that matters, but it does not always tell the full story.

It may not explain why a decision was made years ago. It may not show what happened the last time the same detail was used. It may not tell you which building has a history of problems or which issue keeps returning.

That knowledge often sits with someone who has seen it before.

An experienced person may walk onto a site and notice something others have missed. They may listen to an explanation and know that it does not sound right. They may look at a programme and know it will be difficult to deliver in practice.

They know because they have seen what happens when things go wrong.

That judgement comes from years of dealing with delays, complaints, failed details, poor workmanship, disputes and work that had to be done again.

Qualifications matter, but they are not the same as experience.

A qualification may help someone enter a role.

Experience teaches them what to look for once they are there.

When that person retires, the organisation does not only lose an employee.

It may also lose years of memory, judgement and practical knowledge that nobody thought to record.

A vacancy can be filled.

Experience takes longer to replace.

Life. Construction. Legacy.

Thoughts on life through construction and the built environment.

Marlon Amele MCIOB

Founder of BuildionX