Abstract— Labors is one of important element in construction projects implementation. Labors should have a good basic skills to be able to use the skills on the field work effectively, this capability is referred as essential skills. This study aims to identify essential skills needed to work on the construction sector in Indonesia, on the job of carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers and painters building. Data was collected through interviews and distributing questionnaires to users of Indonesian construction labors in Indonesia. Respondents were asked to provide an assessment of the essential skills required by their importance for the construction project. Determination of essential skills ranking were analyzed with the Relative Importance Index (RII). The results showed that the essential skills needed on the job of carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers and painters are numeracy, thinking, working with others and continuous learning.
Index Terms— essential skills, construction labors.