Construction

Construction is not a simple job. Just think how complex the award winning Scottish Parliament is. Our buildings need to be well designed and carefully built. There can be up to 60 different jobs involved in one building project. They all have to be done properly, and in the right order, if the building – or the bridge, or whatever – is going to stand up and be safe! Construction is the fourth largest UK industry in terms of employment.

• There were estimated to be 213,630 employees in construction and construction-related occupations in 2013 in Scotland.
• This is forecast to rise to 216,740 in 2014 and 225,850 by 2018.
• More than a third of construction workers in the UK are self-employed.
• 86% of workers are male in the construction industry.

The current economic downturn has affected the UK construction industry, with annual output falling by an estimated 21% between 2007 and 2012. However, Scotland is projected to see an annual average output growth of 2% between 2014 and 2018. In the first six months to June 2013, construction output was valued at £5 billion, 6% higher than the same period in 2012. New construction work is expected to grow by 2.5%, while repair and maintenance (R&M) is forecast a 1.3% upturn. The industrial sector is expected to perform the strongest, followed by the private housing sector and infrastructure. The only construction sector expected to decline up to 2015 is public non-housing construction. The biggest projected rises among construction specific occupations are painters and decorators and wood trades and interior fit-out, with scaffolders expected to grow at an annual average of 4.9%.

To work in this career area, you need to be practical and methodical, with a technical interest. You must work accurately, and be willing to take responsibility. Whatever job you do, you will be contributing to the safety of a structure which lots of people will use. For some jobs you need to be physically strong. For most you must be good with your hands. You also need other skills besides the technical ones.

• You must be able to work as part of a team – you might have to supervise a team.
• You might need to plan projects or write reports.
• In some jobs you have to get on well with the public – if you are a painter and decorator for instance, you must be friendly, polite and prepared to listen to your customer.

You can get into construction work at different levels: operative, craft, technical or graduate (with a degree).

• You do not need qualifications to get work as an operative.
• For construction crafts, you can apply for a Modern Apprenticeship when you leave school. If you do this you will do training on the job and at college, to get a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) at Level 3.
• To get a technical job you usually need a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND). For some technical jobs you can work your way up from an operative or craftsperson.

The jobs and courses have been divided into 7 sectors:

• Architecture
• Building technology and management
• Civil and structural engineering
• Construction crafts
• Landscape architecture
• Surveying
• Town and regional planning.

Sources

Construction Skills Network Scotland LMI 2014-2018 (Experian Report) (www.constructionskills.net)

Construction Skills website (www.cskills.org)

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