When we talk about addressing the construction industry's labor shortage, particularly among digitally skilled professionals, the conversation often hones in on technology adoption in the field. However, there's another side to the conversation that's just as important, if not moreso: How to prepare students before they ever step onto a job site. It’s this area in which Bluebeam’s Academic Program is looking to make a tangible difference. Recently, Geo Week News spoke with Parth Tikiwala, Bluebeam’s Director of Government and Academic Affairs, about how his team is looking to take this program to a new level, the importance of creating this kind of program for the next generation of AEC professionals, and how partnerships at schools like Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State are already taking advantage of the tools.
“It’s really about bridging the classroom to the field,” said Tikiwala. “How can we do that and enable that for Bluebeam across the U.S., especially because we have a footprint here—and then take that same framework and apply it globally?”
While Bluebeam's academic outreach has existed for years, it entered a new phase over the past 12 to 14 months, with a more strategic and structured approach to school engagement. According to Tikiwala, Bluebeam's leadership challenged his team to rethink how academic licensing could better align with industry demand and long-term workforce development. That led to more formal partnerships with schools like Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State, and a deeper look at where the company was already gaining traction.
“The academic piece had always existed, but I was given a special mission to strategize on it. This really is the next iteration,” he said. “We saw that the concentration was really in construction management and a little bit in civil engineering, but we weren’t spreading across the AEC industry as a whole.”
What sets the program apart is not just access to software, but how closely it's being integrated into the student journey. Students at partner institutions often begin using Bluebeam early in their degree programs, and its use has expanded beyond required coursework into broader student interests. Some students even use Bluebeam for projects outside the AEC curriculum entirely, according to Tikiwala.
Faculty support has also been a priority, with Bluebeam providing training and other direct support to professors incorporating the software into their coursework. That faculty engagement, Tikwala told Geo Week News, is key to scaling the program without losing touch with classroom realities.
“The most common question we get from educators is, Can we have more training so we can utilize this tool a bit more?” he noted. “They want to make sure that they’re up and ready with the latest of what’s going on, [not just] in Bluebeam Academic, but really with Bluebeam itself.”
Just as important is the program's connection to the industry side of the equation. With many firms dealing with worker shortages, they are looking for their newest employees to come in as well-prepared as possible. To that end, Bluebeam has worked with major AEC firms to learn about what they need from incoming interns and junior staff, and how Bluebeam can help facilitate those needs being met. Tikiwala says that they have created programs to ensure these young professionals are prepared.
“We've launched two intern programs in the last year alone,” he said. “We’ve worked to train summer interns so when they're in the field and they're bombarded with those tasks that other GCs don't want to do, whatever it is, they're ready.”
The timing of this kind of initiative comes at an important time for the sector as the construction industry continues to evolve with digital workflows. With that shift and the challenges firms are tackling with respect to increasing demand and shrinking workforces, the expectation that graduates are job-ready has only intensified. Meanwhile, students entering AEC programs often do so without a clear understanding of the tools they’ll be expected to use in the field. Programs like Bluebeam’s Academic Program are not only building familiarity with those tools, but also generating enthusiasm among the next generation of professionals for the industry.
In terms of what comes next, Tikiwala is looking for his team to continue fostering strong relationships between the industry and the universities educating the next generation of workers. He wants to continue to push the program on a global scale, and to further promote their professional certification programs.
“There is this uncertainty right in the AEC industry marketplace,” he told Geo Week News. “It's my argument with my team that that's actually an opportunity that presents itself for us to engage more and to meet whatever those uncertainties and concerns actually are for faculty at different universities.”
