Industry Careers With Construction Training Courses

Currently construction is one of the leading industries in today's world. Modern construction utilises Planning, Architecture, Health and Safety and Green Engineering in its workflow as well as actual Building skill-sets. 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 main on-site labour is often referred to as un-skilled or semi-skilled, primarily due to the lack of formal industry qualifications.

Following this are the skilled workers, who've trained and built up their abilities. Many take on lower management positions. Then there remain those jobs relating to technical and management work. These are the people with the greatest educational qualifications (usually graduate degrees), trained to design, plan and manage the overall construction process.

You can return to this section later and refer to the various sites and links to training companies by bookmarking this page.

Construction Sectors & Training Frameworks

Skilled jobs demand some form of further education study - predominantly in subjects connected to the vocation itself. Most trainees gain their skills through a combination of technical college training and work experience. In the United Kingdom during 2007, there were over 8,000 training positions started in construction alone. In late 2009, approximately 613,000 people were employed within the construction industry as a whole, with some 18,000 people going through training programmes.

It's widely recognised in the industry that there are three types of construction. One is in the domestic market, and the other two are in the commercial sector. Let's begin with Building Construction. This is the process by which structural improvements are made to established buildings. Most of these renovations are relatively modest and fairly low key.

Next come those construction companies that get involved in heavy (civil) commercial building projects. Finally we have a smaller sector at the top of the scale that deals with industrial construction. Very large businesses and corporations are often behind plans such as these.

The scale of building work undertaken from Building to Industrial Construction is very extensive. The range of plans also raises the costs, with large industrial projects sometimes costing up to a billion pounds or more. Professional careers in the construction industry include the following:

Building Services Engineers

This is another way of saying Mechanical or Electrical Engineers. You normally need to have a mechanical or electrical engineering degree to be considered for such a position. Graduating M and E Engineers can join the CIBSE at Graduate level to increase their contacts and networks of professionals.

Project Manager

These professionals are generally holders of a two or three year higher education certificate or degree. They may also have experience in Civil Engineering.

Civil Engineer

It's usual for a civil engineer to have an appropriate university degree. The Chartered Engineer qualification is issued by the Institution of Civil Engineers. New University Graduates however require a masters degree to acquire Chartered status. Graduates can become Incorporated Engineers through Bachelor Degree status.

Quantity Surveyor

To become a surveyor, you must first qualify in an appropriate QS degree. With 2 years practical experience in a related field, you can complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and become a member of RICS - the profession's Royal Institute.

Structural Engineer

Anyone working as a structural engineer on major projects will have their say about the environment we live in. SE's often work alongside architects and designers on the construction of structures. The work is very exacting, as obviously high levels of safety and efficiency are prerequisites for structural engineers.

Architect

The standard entry route into the architectural profession takes at least seven years, and is a blend of academic and practical study and work. The architect is actively involved throughout a whole project, from choosing the site to structure and landscaping completion.