Building and construction... in detail

What does it involve?

People who work in the construction industry work with buildings, land and other structures. There are many jobs ranging from building site worker to building services engineer. Some jobs involve working on the inside of buildings (such as heating and ventilation engineers or tilers) others may have to work outside for a lot of the time (for example bricklayers and scaffolders). Most jobs involve working as part of a team.

Many people in this industry work for themselves or work on a project-by-project basis.

How much will I get paid?

What’s happening in the industry?

You may have heard that there are difficulties in the construction industry at the moment due to the fact that the housing market isn't very good. Don't let this put you off a career in construction - they need you!

There's still a severe shortage of skilled labour, especially at the skilled trades level (for example carpenters and joiners, scaffolders, roofers and electricians). As older workers leave their jobs, younger people are needed to replace them and at the moment, there are not enough people with the right skills. Construction Skills believe that 87,600 new recruits will be needed each year between 2007 and 2011 to meet demands; that’s a lot of new jobs!

There are fewer jobs in plastering because, as building materials are developing, there is less demand for them. The number of electricians and glaziers needed is expected to grow, as is the need for machine and transport operatives, building inspectors, architectural technicians, civil engineers and quantity surveyors.

The house building sector is expanding due to the Government ordering more houses to be built on Brownfield sites but commercial work (such as building offices or shops) is seeing a slight downturn. The biggest project underway at the moment for the construction industry is the 2012 Olympic Games which will require hundreds of workers. There are also plans to widen the M1 in Nottinghamshire which will also create new jobs.

What's happening locally?

Nottinghamshire information

How to get into this type of work:

Your Personal Adviser will be able to discuss your options with you.

School or college - study for GCSES, a diploma, AS / A levels, NVQs or other vocational qualifications that could lead to a job, an Apprenticeship, further qualifications or even a degree.

e2e (Entry to Employment) - if you’re not sure if you’re suited to this job you might be able to get some work experience through e2e. It can also give you extra support to gain the right qualifications, get onto a training programme or get a job.

Apprenticeship - train ‘on-the-job’ with a wage or allowance. For the latest Apprenticeship vacancies in Nottinghamshire go to Vacancies Online.

Work or work with training

Which skills?

Team work
Communication

What else can I do?

Get some work experience.

Brush up on some of your skills such as ICT and customer service
Read the CODES leaflets: Constructing your future (B/S) or Jobs in construction (BB01) to get an idea of the different jobs available or look at some of the more specific leaflets. You can find these in your school Connexions library or nearest Connexions centre.
Talk to your Personal Adviser.

Useful links

For courses go to MyChoiceNotts

For job and training vacancies go to Vacancies Online

For more job info go to Jobs4U

For more useful links go to Fetch!