DEWALT Study Finds Construction Workers Want AI but Aren't Getting the Training to Use It
According to Construction Executive, a new study from DEWALT titled “AI in the Trades” has surfaced a telling contradiction in the construction workforce: tradespeople are broadly open to adopting artificial intelligence on the jobsite, but structured training to actually use those tools remains scarce. The result is a workforce that wants to move forward and largely can’t, not because of resistance, but because of access.
Background
The DEWALT study, as reported by Construction Executive, identifies what it calls a paradox at the heart of AI adoption in construction. Workers are not skeptical of the technology. The data describes a workforce that is not only open to AI but actively interested in it, with a level of consensus described as rare in an industry not typically known for rapid cultural alignment around new technology.
The study also surfaces where workers are currently picking up AI knowledge: through a patchwork of informal channels rather than employer-led programs. That approach to learning is described as unsustainable for an industry operating at the pace and scale construction now demands.
The workforce itself appears to recognize the gap. According to the study, workers are not asking for abstract or theoretical knowledge about AI. They want training that is contextualized to their actual work, hands-on instruction that connects the tool to the task they perform every day on the jobsite.
A DEWALT spokesperson, quoted in Construction Executive, reflected a shift in how the industry should think about tradespeople and technology: “Tradespeople are the backbone of our industry, and their hands-on expertise positions them uniquely to benefit from AI tools.”
Among the workers who have already adopted AI in some form, reported benefits include increased productivity and measurable gains in project performance. The early adopter use cases are already taking shape, though the study notes this group remains a minority.
Analysis
The DEWALT findings land at a moment when AI tooling is moving from novelty to competitive differentiator across construction and field services. The real story here isn’t that workers distrust AI. It’s that the training pipeline has not kept pace with the technology’s availability, and that lag is creating a two-tier workforce.
Early adopters are already reporting productivity gains that translate directly to project delivery. Everyone else is relying on informal self-teaching, which is inconsistent, slow, and leaves workers without the context to apply tools correctly to their specific trades and workflows.
That divide has compounding consequences. Companies with a higher share of AI-capable workers will be faster, leaner, and more competitive on bids. Companies that have not invested in structured training will find themselves on the wrong side of that gap as AI capability becomes a bid qualification rather than a bonus.
The study’s emphasis on contextualized, hands-on training is important. Generic AI literacy, the kind a worker might pick up from a YouTube video or a general online course, is not the same as knowing how to use an AI-powered estimating tool, a jobsite monitoring system, or a project management platform in the actual conditions of their trade. One produces awareness. The other produces performance.
There’s also a retention angle here. Tradespeople who feel equipped to work with modern tools are more likely to stay with employers who invest in their development. In a labor market where skilled trades shortages remain a persistent problem, training is not just a productivity investment. It’s a recruitment and retention strategy.
The patchwork learning environment the study describes, workers piecing together AI knowledge on their own, also creates uneven risk. Workers who are self-taught may apply AI tools incorrectly, misinterpret outputs, or develop workarounds that create compliance or quality issues downstream. Structured training mitigates that exposure.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- The training gap is your competitive exposure. If your workforce is self-teaching AI while a competitor is running structured programs, that difference will show up in bid pricing, project timelines, and quality metrics.
- Generic training won’t cut it. The DEWALT study specifically flags the need for hands-on, contextualized instruction. Invest in training that connects AI tools to your specific trade work, not just general AI literacy courses.
- Early adopters are already seeing productivity gains. The study reports tangible benefits among workers already using AI. Those gains compound over time. The longer you wait, the wider the performance gap between your crews and your competitors’.
- Informal learning creates uneven risk. Workers piecing together AI knowledge on their own may apply it inconsistently. A structured approach protects against quality and compliance issues that can follow work performed without proper tool training.
- Training is also a retention play. Investing in workforce development signals to tradespeople that you’re building for the future, a meaningful differentiator when skilled labor is hard to find and harder to keep.
