Retraining For A New Career With Construction Courses

Without a doubt construction remains one of the most vibrant industries on the planet. It is far bigger than many people think, and includes careers for architects, designers, engineers, project managers and even health & safety officials within its remit. Many qualifications are globally recognised, but if you plan to work overseas, check before you spend time studying.

Basically, there are three tiers of careers within the construction industry. First there are unskilled and semi skilled workers who have very little certification and represent the bulk of the on-site workforce.

The next level is that of skilled labour and this refers to the Foremen and Managers who work on-site. Last of all come the Management and Technical Professionals.

The people who work in these professions are responsible for planning and executing complete projects. When you want to consider your options you may want to refer to some of the training companies and links featured here, so make sure that you book-mark this page (Ctrl-D).

How To Train In The Construction Sector

Further Education credentials (often involving vocational elements) are essential for skilled positions. These qualifications are either obtained directly through colleges, or through 'on the job' training. During 2007, some eight thousand five hundred construction based scholarships were pursued in the Britain. Two years on and that training number has increased to eighteen thousand.

In the industry there are three standard construction sectors. They all focus on different areas of the market.

Initially we have the building construction section. Basically this is when structure is used to develop an older property. On the whole they tend to be small in scale and take a few weeks at most. Heavy/Civil Construction is essentially the domain of the medium-sized 'build-for-profit' companies.

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. Due to the size of the schemes the owners are often very large profit-based entities.

The Heavy/Civil and Industrial construction sectors primarily involve broader technical skills to finish each scheme. Householders sometimes spend several thousand on an extension, but conglomerates can spend hundreds of millions on a really major project. So let's now go through a number of technical construction career paths:

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers generally hold particular three or four year engineering degrees. In the UK, the Institute of Civil Engineers offers the Chartered Engineer accreditation programme as well. To achieve chartered status engineering graduates need to hold the four year MEng. With a three year BEng under your belt you could consider becoming an Incorporated Engineer.

Quantity Surveying

The first stage to becoming a quantity surveyor is to graduate with an approved degree or masters degree. Membership of RICS (the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) is for graduates who complete competence-based training and at least two years in industry.

Building Engineers

These can also be referred to as 'M&E Engineers'. These candidates usually hold degrees in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. Building Services Engineers can join the CIBSE in the UK. There are eight grades of membership, depending on experience and qualifications.

Project Manager

Many project managers come into the role through other engineering disciplines. With experience and on-going training in (e.g. in PMBOK or PRINCE 2) they can progress to very senior roles.

Structural Engineers

Undergraduates looking to apply to university to take a structural engineering degree should have A levels in maths, physics and/or other sciences. There are various membership levels should you wish to join the Institute of Structural Engineers, which reflect the diversity of recognised academic qualifications around the world.

Architects

Anyone who wishes to become an architect should allow for seven or more years of study and work experience to become fully qualified. An architect is responsible for designing new buildings and the surrounding spaces. They have to work closely with their clients, fellow professionals, officials and users to ensure their work complies with everyone's needs.