NFPA Survey Finds Increase in Use of Digital Tools Among Skilled Trades Workers

The National Fire Protection Association has released recent survey results, revealing insights into trends and attitudes around digital tools, training and development and AI implementation within the skilled trades industry.

Skilled trade workers have mixed feelings about AI adoption within industry
Twenty-five percent of respondents believe AI should be used to help skilled trade workers streamline tasks during ongoing labor shortages. In fact, 19% of respondents indicated that either themselves or their organizations have begun experimenting with AI-powered solutions to simplify menial tasks. Additionally, one-third (31%) of respondents believe AI can spur industry growth by making the trades more attractive to a younger generation of workers.

On the other hand, nearly one-half (47%) of respondents revealed they are not currently leveraging AI in their day-to-day work and are skeptical of it. Additionally, only 8% of respondents believe AI implementation won’t benefit the fire and life safe industry at all.

Respondents also cited utilizing AI to act as a “personal assistant” to field workers for hyper-personalized and on-the-go learning (13%); streamline manual processes to save time (12%) and enhance learning and development initiatives, such as those delivered via virtual reality (8%).

Utilization of digital tools is positively impacting training and development programs
Eighty-two percent of respondents use digital tools daily to help streamline training and development programs. The majority of respondents within this group recognize the diverse benefits that digital tools offer the skilled trades industry, including:

• Making training easier (98%)
• Saving time while training (94%)
• Streamlining the process of conducting trainings (95%)

However, respondents also noted challenges in leveraging digital tools within their day-to-day operations, despite an increase in the number of participants using five or more tools on a daily basis compared to the 2023 C&E Survey results. For example, 69% of respondents cited collaboration as a top challenge for 2024, a significant increase from last year’s results (29%). The top-reported challenges teams face in leveraging digital tools include:

• Collaboration (69%)
• Inspection (51%)
• Complexity of projects (46%)

Challenges persist when it comes to advancing training and development programs, with a majority of respondents (70%) citing lack of time as the biggest barrier. Additional barriers include:

• Determining the right training (41%)
• Lack of access to qualified instructors (48%)
• Overwhelmed with options and/or a lack of time to vet training programs (32%)
• Keeping track of which trainings are needed to maintain professional licenses (22%)
• Lack of technology to disseminate trainings to employee bases (18%)
• Inability to track and/or document training completions by employees (15%)
• Other (10%)

Nineteen percent of respondents noted the skilled labor gap has led to less time for career advancement opportunities through training and certifications. More than one-third (38%) of respondents reported the skilled labor gap has negatively impacted the amount of time and money spent on recruitment and retention, with 14% of respondents turning down projects due to a lack of qualified labor.

Survey methodology
The NFPA collected responses from 171 U.S. and international-based workers, 18-years and older, in the electrical, manufacturing, construction, engineering, architect/design, facility maintenance, fire service and insurance/risk management fields to determine the findings of this industry research. The survey was conducted in-person between June 17-19 at the 2024 NFPA Conference & Expo.