US infrastructure upgrades face talent shortage crisis

The US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring US$550 billion in new spending over the next five years – but deployment challenges lie ahead, according to a survey from the Deloitte Center for Government Insights.

Government and private sector leaders ranked talent and expertise shortages as the biggest obstacle to implementing infrastructure projects over the next three years, ahead of data privacy and security risks, unclear roadmaps, and budget constraints. Materials availability and supply chain problems were also among the issues highlighted.

The Future of United States infrastructure report says: “When thinking of infrastructure talent, it is easy to think of construction workers. But today’s infrastructure encompasses many more elements such as renewables, internet services, data management centres, and data analytics, which require a far more diverse range of skills.”

For example, several states have now appointed chief privacy officers and last year, Georgia reportedly became the first state to name a chief cloud officer. Other emerging leadership roles in cities relate to areas such as digital inclusion, green buildings and artificial intelligence.

Pandemic impact

In September 2021, Deloitte surveyed 300 public officials and infrastructure executives in the United States, with a greater weighting on state and local governments.

Almost all survey respondents (97 percent) believe the pandemic will have a significant, lasting impact on infrastructure, such as higher demand for broadband and multimodal transportation. More than a third also believe that there will be more people working from home and greater use of telemedicine, but only two percent think there will be fewer people living in cities.

Most respondents expect government to focus investments on improving data security, public spaces, digital infrastructure, and climate-focused initiatives. Around half expect infrastructure plans to change to adapt to shifts in how people work and travel, and where they live.

A quarter of local government respondents believe their infrastructure is not adequately protected from cyber-attacks. Recent events such as the Colonial Pipeline hack and several city ransomware attacks have highlighted vulnerabilities.

In terms of technology, experts said they expect artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cybersecurity to have the most impact on infrastructure projects.

The authors state: “These technology choices highlight the shift from purely physical infrastructure to a hybrid of physical and digital. From power grids to roads, infrastructure is getting ‘smarter’.”