Construction Careers & Considering A Construction Management Degree

In today's global market construction still sits as one of the leaders in industry. It builds from a wealth of skill sets which include Design, Architecture, Building Skills and Health & Safety factors. Naturally such diversity means there are various training paths leading to all the different roles.

Basically, there are three tiers of careers within the construction industry. A large number of on-site workers tend to be Un-skilled or Semi-skilled workers who haven't gone through lengthy training. Next are the managers and foremen who work on-site. They hold a good level of technical knowledge and are often referred to as "skilled" labour.

Last of all come the Management and Technical Professionals. Individuals in this category will have trained and qualified at a more advanced level, and will take on greater responsibilities. By typing CTRL-D and book-marking this page you will be able to come back later on and check out the links and adverts to some of the training companies featured here.

Training in Construction in the UK

All skilled workers in Britain have to continue training after they've left school. These qualifications are either obtained directly through colleges, or through 'on the job' training. Between 2006 and 2007 over 9,000 apprenticeships in construction were allocated in the United Kingdom. Two years on and that training number has increased to eighteen thousand.

Overall work ranges from building construction, through heavy or civil construction to industrial construction. They're very different in nature and scope, and require distinctive skill-sets. 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. Civil and Heavy Construction is the second type of construction between Building and Industrial.

The third sector of construction is industrial - by far the largest projects fall into this category, though they're much fewer and far between than the others. Very large businesses and corporations are often behind plans such as these.

The large industrial developments (and the bigger civil ones too) require very experienced professionals from many different backgrounds. The scope of the projects range from a few hundred pounds for small building work through to a few million or even billion pounds to complete two year industrial projects.

We can take a look at some of the professions that work in construction -

Building Services Engineers

B S Engineers are also known as M and E Engineers. You normally need to have a mechanical or electrical engineering degree to be considered for such a position. BS engineers can enhance their career prospects by joining their chartered institute. Membership at different levels is available for anyone studying or working in building services.

Quantity Surveyor

Training for work as a Quantity Surveyor starts with an appropriate three or four year degree course. 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.

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. Typically graduates must hold qualifications such as the MEng in order to reach the chartered rank. Bachelor of Engineering degrees are generally a prerequisite to reaching the Incorporated Engineer level.

Project Managers

Project Managers have often worked in construction in various roles before specialising and training in specific PM disciplines (such as PMBOK). Engineers and surveyors often make good project managers.

Structural Engineering

Professional structural engineers make a significant contribution to the design of a built environment. The ISE (Institute of Structural Engineers) is the professional body that works to maintain professional standards in the industry.

Architects

Architectural students must be prepared for a lengthy training process, which includes a university degree and post-grad study and work. On any construction project, an architect will remain a key player as their designs, ideas and plans are converted into physical structures and spaces.