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Prospects With Construction Management Degrees

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. With so many inter-related roles and disciplines, training and qualifications vary enormously.

In the main people have three category levels to choose from when considering careers within the Construction Industry. "Unskilled" and "Semi-Skilled" workers have little or no formal credentials, but generally make up the bulk of the on-site workforce. 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. Then there remain those jobs relating to technical and management work.

These are the people with the greatest educational qualifications (usually graduate degrees), trained to design, plan and manage the overall construction process.

You can return to this section later and refer to the various sites and links to training companies by bookmarking this page.

How To Train In The Construction Sector

All skilled workers in Britain have to continue training after they've left school. There are a number of ways for people to get their qualifications, whether this is by work-related training or through an FE college. Between 2006 and 2007 over 9,000 apprenticeships in construction were allocated in the United Kingdom. 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. The two commercial areas require similar trade and professional skill-sets, though each is unique in some ways.

Building construction is the first part of the review. Essentially this is where extensions are built onto existing houses. On the whole they tend to be small in scale and take a few weeks at most. Larger scale projects are mostly the domain of civil construction, which comes mid-way between building and industrial. And lastly comes industrial construction which covers all the vast structures and developments in the country. Due to the size of the schemes the owners are often very large profit-based entities.

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. Below you'll find a list of professional construction related careers and training requirements.

Civil Engineer

A Civil Engineer usually holds a degree in a relative subject. A prestigious element issued by the Institution of Civil Engineers is that of the Chartered Engineer. To qualify as a Chartered Engineer, a graduate must hold a Masters in Engineering. Those with Bachelor's Degrees may, as a result, become Incorporated Engineers.

Building Services Engineers

The construction industry also needs Building Services Engineers. You normally need to have a mechanical or electrical engineering degree to be considered for such a position. The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers welcomes members, and offers memberships from Affiliate through to Fellow depending on status.

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.

Quantity Surveyor

Professional degree level qualifications are important in quantity surveying. More professional training (along with time spent in industry) can be gained from RICS, the industry body for standards and certifications.

Structural Engineers

For a career in structural engineering, you need a vocational qualification (NVQ) in an engineering or construction related subject, or a structural engineering degree. The ISE (Institute of Structural Engineers) is the professional body that works to maintain professional standards in the industry.

Architect

Becoming an architect generally requires a minimum 4 year Degree in Architecture with practical work experience and further training as well. The architect is actively involved throughout a whole project, from choosing the site to structure and landscaping completion.