Building and Construction
Working in the building industry and the construction industry is not just laying brick and cement, there are plenty of opportunities for graduates leaving university, for instance working for a company like
Babcock.
The construction industry covers a wide range of construction jobs covering public and private housing, commercial buildings, non residential public buildings like hospitals and industrial buildings.
It is true that the construction industry suffered massively when the recession hit, but some areas of the industry are enjoying growth against. Experts believe that 88,000 new recruits will be needed in the sector each year, over the next four years (Blueprint for Construction Skills 2008-2012, Construction Skills Network 2008). At present the construction industry is pretty large; over 2.2 million people work in construction, which is 7% of the UK's workforce. (ONS, June 2009).
And despite the male-dominated stereotypes, the construction industry is not just for men. The
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) states that around 200,000 women have construction jobs. The CITB is a good resource for looking up what construction jobs are available.
You can improve your chances of getting good work and better pay by taking a few extra exams and becoming chartered through a professional organisation like the
Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, the
Institution of Civil Engineers, the
Institution of Structural Engineers and the
Royal Institute of British Architects.
Architect
Builder
Civil engineer
Construction engineer
Structural engineer
Surveyor
Average graduate starting salaries in construction jobs fall between £17,000 and £25,000, depending on the position and training required.
Architects usually start off as assistants, earning £17,000-£30,000 depending on the size of the company and where it’s located. This can double after you become officially registered.
It's about the same for Civil Engineers, starting off in a graduate scheme at £17,000-£25,000, and going to £40-£60,000 and more after you become chartered.
For many areas of the construction industry you will not require a specific degree discipline, but for more specialised areas such as architecture and civil engineering you will need to get a good degree grade in the that specific area. In the case of architecture the full training takes seven years but fully trained architects are highly paid.
As well as the specific construction skills needed you will need to have good communication and teamwork skills. A driving licence will be important as travelling from site to site is essential. As Information technology plays an important part in construction in particular computer-aided design, your I.T skills will be important, especially for building surveyors involved in design roles.
