Change-My-Career.co.uk

A New Career With Construction Project Management Courses

There's no doubt that construction is one of the most embracing of today's business sectors. 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 least certified members of the workforce will be employed on building sites and are generally known as Unskilled and/or Semi Skilled.

Foremen and Site Managers are known as "Skilled", mainly due to the level of technical skills they're qualified and experienced in. And then there are those listed as Technicians and Managers. Individuals in this category will have trained and qualified at a more advanced level, and will take on greater responsibilities.

On this page you'll find links and adverts from a selection of training companies, so it could be worth your while to book-mark it (CTRL-D) so you can come back later to review your options.

An Overview to Construction Training

Skilled professionals in the UK often need formal accreditations - especially in those areas of vocational expertise. 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. By 2009 over 600,000 workers were involved in the construction industry with 10,000 more people going through training than two years previously.

In the industry there are three standard construction sectors. Each has a fairly unique team to plan, design, construct and maintain the relative project.

The first is Building Construction. Generally this is where a new structure is attached to a building. A large number of these projects are comparatively small and are completed in under a month. Next come those construction companies that get involved in heavy (civil) commercial building projects. Finally we have a smaller sector at the top of the scale that deals with industrial construction. The owners of these large-scale projects are usually vast for-profit, industrial corporations.

Going up the chain from building through to industrial construction, an ever wider variety of skill-sets are needed to complete each project. Householders sometimes spend several thousand on an extension, but conglomerates can spend hundreds of millions on a really major project. We can take a look at some of the professions that work in construction -

Civil Engineering

Civil Engineers typically need to be qualified with good civil engineering degrees. Equally important is the Chartered Engineer qualification earned through the Institute of Civil Engineers. Typically graduates must hold qualifications such as the MEng in order to reach the chartered rank. With a three year BEng under your belt you could consider becoming an Incorporated Engineer.

Building Services Engineering

B S Engineers are also known as M and E Engineers. Typically these people have Mechanical Engineering degrees or Electrical Engineering degrees. BS engineers can enhance their career prospects by joining their chartered institute. Membership at different levels is available for anyone studying or working in building services.

Project Managers

Often it's by being qualified in either quantity surveying or civil engineering, along with a professional certification such as PRINCE 2 that these positions become available.

Quantity Surveyors

Quantity Surveyors can enter the industry at graduate level. Membership of RICS (the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) is for graduates who complete competence-based training and at least two years in industry.

Structural Engineer

Professional structural engineers make a significant contribution to the design of a built environment. New university graduates must hold a Masters Degree to gain Chartered status from the Institute of 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. Professional status is monitored and assessed in the UK by RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects.