South Africa's construction industry has spent years grappling with skills shortages. Now, a less visible challenge is emerging. As project environments become increasingly digital, many young professionals are finding that graduating with a university degree and being ready for the workplace are not always the same thing.

RIB Software, a provider of digital technology for the construction industry, has identified the transition from theory to practice as one of the biggest hurdles facing young South African graduates. Through workshops, online training, and graduate programmes centred around its Candy construction management platform that supports estimating, planning, cost management, and project controls throughout the lifecycle, the company has seen first-hand how practical exposure can help bridge that gap for young professionals entering the market.

Despite gaining valuable technical knowledge during their studies, many graduates enter the workplace with limited exposure to the digital tools, workflows, and commercial realities they will encounter in the professional environment. And employers increasingly expect young professionals to be familiar with industry software and processes from day one.

For Kabelo Mokoena, a final-year Quantity Surveying student, that challenge is very real.

Growing up in South Africa’s Free State province, he was fascinated by the mining developments and infrastructure projects changing the landscape around him. He was curious about the people behind those projects, particularly those responsible for making sure the numbers worked. He initially pursued computer science before finding his way to quantity surveying, drawn by the combination of numbers and software.

“There's a real gap between what universities teach and what the industry actually needs from you on a day-to-day basis. You can graduate with strong theoretical knowledge and still feel completely unprepared when you sit in front of the software a company uses”, says Mokoena

Since beginning his studies at the Central University of Technology, Mokoena has actively sought opportunities to familiarise himself with the technologies used across the industry. After mastering Excel and software commonly used in consultancy environments, he wanted to understand the contractor side of construction and reached out to RIB Software to access self-learning opportunities. 

“It's critical, and I say that from experience. Access to platforms like RIB Candy helps close that gap before it becomes a problem. Students who have that exposure hit the ground running and in a competitive job market, that matters,” adds Mokoena.

Similar experiences have emerged in Ghana.

For Quaye Adu-Aryee, construction was part of everyday life long before it became a career. Inspired by his father, a retired engineer who introduced him to electrical and masonry work as a child, he went on to study building technology and quantity surveying and construction economics.

Long before joining RIB Software's graduate programme in Ghana, Adu-Aryee had already begun exploring artificial intelligence workflows and looking for ways to work more efficiently. While researching software solutions, he discovered RIB Candy and later joined the programme. The practical assignments proved to be a turning point.

“It was like do or die. I had to do the work, so I just had to understand the software”, says Adu-Aryee

As he became more comfortable with the software, he started using AI tools to streamline his workflow. Today, he uses those skills both in his role with a subcontractor involved in road infrastructure projects in Ghana and in his own independent quantity surveying work. 

RIB Software supports the practical exposure of students to industry-standard technologies to help them understand how projects are planned, costed, monitored, and delivered in practice. Beyond technical knowledge, these experiences build confidence, encourage problem-solving, and help young professionals make the transition into professional roles more smoothly.

Technical construction knowledge will always remain fundamental, but digital skills are becoming equally important. Future professionals will need to be comfortable working with data, software platforms, integrated project management systems, and digital workflows. Skills such as planning, cost analysis, project controls, data interpretation, and digital collaboration are likely to become increasingly valuable as technology continues to reshape the construction lifecycle.

Ultimately, investing in students and young professionals is an investment in the future of the construction industry itself. As Africa's infrastructure ambitions continue to grow, success will depend not only on projects and technology, but on building a workforce with the confidence and digital skills needed to turn those ambitions into reality.

As South Africa marks Youth Day, RIB Software believes preparing the next generation of construction professionals goes beyond providing access to technology. By investing in training, workshops, and opportunities for practical learning, the industry has an opportunity to build a more skilled, confident, and digitally enabled African workforce.

And for an industry facing growing demands around productivity, efficiency, digitalisation, and sustainability, that investment in young people may prove to be one of the most important foundations it lays.