Careers In The Construction Industry & Architecture Programs
Without a doubt construction remains one of the most vibrant industries on the planet. It builds from a wealth of skill sets which include Design, Architecture, Building Skills and Health & Safety factors. There are so many different ways to become a professional worker in construction.
In the construction industry there are three levels to consider. The 'Unskilled' and 'Semi Skilled' workforce are generally the on-site labour with little or no formal construction qualifications.
The next level is that of skilled labour and this refers to the Foremen and Managers who work on-site. Finally, there are Technical and Management workers. 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
Further Education credentials (often involving vocational elements) are essential for skilled positions. Most trainees gain their skills through a combination of technical college training and work experience. Within the UK over eight thousand apprenticeships in construction started in two thousand and seven alone. In addition to the 613,000 or so people within the construction trades in the UK during 2009 another 18,000 students were assigned to training programmes.
Within construction itself, there are three types of processes: Building Construction, Heavy/Civil Construction and Industrial Construction. They all focus on different areas of the market.
Building Construction is the initial area to check off. Essentially this is where extensions are built onto existing houses.
A large number of these projects are comparatively small and are completed in under a month. Profit centred organisations that work on medium sized projects come under the heavy construction category. Then there's Industrial Construction, which is a specialised but smaller division of the industry. 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. Financiers looking to fund the biggest industrial concerns sometimes have to raise tens of millions or more in investment money before they can get started. So let's now go through a number of technical construction career paths:
Civil Engineer
Civil Engineers typically need to be qualified with good civil engineering degrees. In addition the Chartered Engineer certification can be obtained through the Institution of Civil Engineers. To become a Chartered Engineer, university graduates are likely to have a Masters Degree. To reach Incorporated Engineer level you should have attained a Bachelor's Degree (BEng) first.
Building Services Engineer
This is another way of saying Mechanical or Electrical Engineers. These candidates usually hold degrees in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. Chartered Engineer status is usually governed by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
Project Management
These professionals are generally holders of a two or three year higher education certificate or degree. They may also have experience in Civil Engineering.
Quantity Surveyor
The first stage to becoming a quantity surveyor is to graduate with an approved degree or masters degree. For professional Chartered status, you should refer to www.rics.org - 'the world's leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property and construction'.
Structural Engineering
Undergraduates looking to apply to university to take a structural engineering degree should have A levels in maths, physics and/or other sciences. The work is very exacting, as obviously high levels of safety and efficiency are prerequisites for structural engineers.
Architecture
Entry in architecture is unlikely without a degree, and indeed practical supervised experience along with university studies will take approximately 7 years. Architects work closely with other construction professionals, such as engineers, quantity surveyors and the other specialists referred to above.
