Construction & Civil Engineering Careers

There's no doubt that construction is one of the most embracing of today's business sectors. It can range from Building Skills, to Architecture and on to Design and even Health and Safety issues at work. With so many inter-related roles and disciplines, training and qualifications vary enormously.

In the main people have three category levels to choose from when considering careers within the Construction Industry. The least certified members of the workforce will be employed on building sites and are generally known as Unskilled and/or Semi Skilled. 'Skilled labour' often relates to the On-Site managers or Foremen who have extensive knowledge and experience of their profession.

Then there remain those jobs relating to technical and management work. Usually the most technically qualified to work in this industry, these are generally the people who manage, plan and design the entire process. On this page you'll find links and adverts from a selection of training companies, so it could be worth your while to book-mark it (CTRL-D) so you can come back later to review your options.

How To Train In The Construction Sector

In the United Kingdom, further education certifications are deemed a must-have for those in a skilled occupation. Once compulsory education in schools has been completed, students can either further their knowledge through training at work or by attending one of the prescribed colleges. Throughout the UK, 8,500 construction-related apprenticeships were started in 2007. As of last year, there were over 600,000 people employed throughout the construction industry with 18,000 students being trained.

Generally there are three divisions of construction accepted within the industry. They're very different in nature and scope, and require distinctive skill-sets.

Let's begin with Building Construction. Basically this is when structure is used to develop an older property. This can involve relatively minor projects such as restoration work and redecoration. Next come those construction companies that get involved in heavy (civil) commercial building projects. Industrial Construction is a relatively small part of the entire construction industry, but it is a key part of it. Due to the size of the schemes the owners are often very large profit-based entities.

Going up the chain from building through to industrial construction, an ever wider variety of skill-sets are needed to complete each project. It's fair to say that as you go down from the large scale projects to the smaller one's the size of the budget involved also goes down from sometimes many millions of pounds to just a few hundred. So let's now go through a number of technical construction career paths:

Project Manager

Individuals typically hold a 2 year or greater higher education qualification, but are also qualified in another field such as 'Quantity Surveying' or 'Civil Engineering'.

Quantity Surveyors

To become a surveyor, you must first qualify in an appropriate QS degree. More professional training (along with time spent in industry) can be gained from RICS, the industry body for standards and certifications.

Civil Engineer

Usually Civil Engineers hold degree level qualifications in their subject matter. The Chartered Engineer qualification is issued by the Institution of Civil Engineers. To qualify as a Chartered Engineer, a graduate must hold a Masters in Engineering. Graduates can become Incorporated Engineers through Bachelor Degree status.

Building Services Engineers

This is another way of saying Mechanical or Electrical Engineers. These candidates usually hold degrees in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. Graduating M and E Engineers can join the CIBSE at Graduate level to increase their contacts and networks of professionals.

Structural Engineers

Professional structural engineers make a significant contribution to the design of a built environment. Structures have to look pleasing, but structural engineers also have to calculate loads and stresses, and be confident the foundations and frameworks are sufficiently strong to be safe and effective.

Architecture

Becoming an architect generally requires a minimum 4 year Degree in Architecture with practical work experience and further training as well. On any construction project, an architect will remain a key player as their designs, ideas and plans are converted into physical structures and spaces.