Looking Into Construction & Project Management Courses

In the current global economy, construction remains one of the stalwarts of the market. The industry encompasses disciplines such as design, architecture, engineering, management and building skills. Many qualifications are globally recognised, but if you plan to work overseas, check before you spend time studying.

Choices for careers within Construction fundamentally span 3 skill levels. The main on-site labour is often referred to as un-skilled or semi-skilled, primarily due to the lack of formal industry qualifications. The next level is that of skilled labour and this refers to the Foremen and Managers who work on-site.

At the top of the scale we have the careers relating to more senior management and technical staff. 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.

The Basis for Training in the Construction Sector

Further Education credentials (often involving vocational elements) are essential for skilled positions. Once compulsory education in schools has been completed, students can either further their knowledge through training at work or by attending one of the prescribed colleges.

During 2007, some eight thousand five hundred construction based scholarships were pursued in the Britain. 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.

It's widely recognised in the industry that there are three types of construction. The two commercial areas require similar trade and professional skill-sets, though each is unique in some ways.

Initially we have the building construction section. Basically this is when structure is used to develop an older property. For example with the addition of rooms or renovation of bathrooms etc. Profit centred organisations that work on medium sized projects come under the heavy construction category.

Finally we have a smaller sector at the top of the scale that deals with industrial construction. Due to the size of the schemes the owners are often very large profit-based entities.

As you go through the list from Building Construction to Industrial Construction, the size of the job increases massively. Without a doubt the costs of ventures increase from a few hundred pounds for small projects through to many millions of pounds for large industrial schemes.

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

Quantity Surveyors

The first stage to becoming a quantity surveyor is to graduate with an approved degree or masters degree. Chartered status is gained from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

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. New University Graduates however require a masters degree to acquire Chartered status. However, anyone graduating with a Bachelors Degree can go on to become an Incorporated Engineer at that stage.

Structural Engineer

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.

Building Services Engineering

Another engineering discipline needed in construction is Building Services Engineering. These candidates usually hold degrees in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers welcomes members, and offers memberships from Affiliate through to Fellow depending on status.

Project Managers

Individuals typically hold a 2 year or greater higher education qualification, but are also qualified in another field such as 'Quantity Surveying' or 'Civil Engineering'.

Architect

Entry in architecture is unlikely without a degree, and indeed practical supervised experience along with university studies will take approximately 7 years. Architects work closely with other construction professionals, such as engineers, quantity surveyors and the other specialists referred to above.