Jobs and Careers Summer 2023 - 336

CONSTRUCTION
Safe as
houses
Build a solid career in the construction
sector - it's a boom industry that offers
a variety of roles and great rewards
W
hether you're
interested
in project
management,
architecture or
the environment, or you love to get
your hands dirty with practical projects,
the construction industry has a role to
suit you. And with an abundance of
opportunities, it's a sector that could offer
you a life-long and lucrative career.
The government's targets to deliver
300,000 new homes every year to tackle
the housing shortage, plus its investment
in large public infrastructure initiatives
and commitment to achieving net zero
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, means
the industry is growing quickly. However,
with the exit of many skilled labourers
post-Brexit, and a rate of retirement that
is outstripping recruitment, the supply
of workers is struggling to keep up with
demand, and companies are crying out
for a new generation of qualified workers.
Construction is a vital part of the UK
economy. In 2022, the gross value of the
UK construction sector was £129 billion
(up £7 billion on the previous year). The
Risk management in construction
Construction is a risky business, with complicated logistics,
safety concerns and huge financial investments at stake.
Construction risk management involves identifying,
evaluating and implementing procedures to monitor, mitigate
and report on risks as they arise. This includes risks around
safety (to employees, who are dealing with heavy equipment
and potentially dangerous constructions, as well as members
of the public), finances (including issues with stakeholders
and cashflow), legalities (regulations and code violations)
and natural disasters (such as floods or earthquakes).
There's also project risk, covering factors such as poor
management of resources, missing deadlines and falling
behind schedule, all of which can throw the project off track.
Construction Industry Training Board
estimates that 350,000 new jobs will be
created by 2028, and wages are increasing
quickly (salaries rose by 6.3% in just
three months in 2022, according to the
Office for National Statistics).
The sector is also actively looking to
recruit staff from other industries with
transferable skills - particularly IT, as
the industry becomes more digitised.
So there couldn't be a better time to put
your skills to good work and build the
foundations for a solid career.
Qualifications count
A career in construction can be flexible
and varied. You may start as a labourer,
then train to move into a specialism such
as carpentry or plumbing. You could even
end up running your own business.
Apprenticeships are a common route
into the construction industry, as they
combine off-the-job learning with on-site
experience. They are highly valued by
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Jobs and Careers Summer 2023

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