Digital transformation in the Built Environment is increasingly underpinned by the adoption and maturity of Building Information Modelling (BIM), a critical tool for enhancing technological skills and addressing complex infrastructure and service delivery challenges. However, the availability of comprehensive BIM training programs in higher education remains inadequate, limiting graduates' and practitioners' capacity to apply and integrate BIM effectively in professional contexts. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the maturity and integration of BIM training in South African Built Environment higher education programmes. The findings reveal that most available programs focus on introducing basic BIM concepts and adoption strategies, advanced training necessary for higher levels of BIM maturity is largely absent. While short learning programs have been developed to upskill industry practitioners, formal curricula face persistent barriers, including limited access to state-of-the-art facilities, software and licensing costs, and structural rigidities within module offerings. The study argues that these challenges undermine both the digital transformation within the Built Environment and the competitiveness of graduates entering professional practice. Ultimately, the findings underscore the urgent need for policy and institutional reforms to accelerate digital transformation and ensure that the Built Environment workforce is equipped with the skills required to meet the demands of contemporary urbanisation and infrastructure development.
Dube et al. (Thu,) studied this question.