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Ambitious, Creative and Want to Make it to the Top?

… Have you ever thought about construction?

It’s time to dispel a few stereotypes about the construction industry.  It’s modern, dynamic and becoming a very sexy industry to be a part of.  Gone are the days of builders bums and Diet Coke hunks springing to mind when conjuring up a picture of the industry – instead, these are replaced with the realism of high flying graduates, working both on-site and in swish offices and being responsible for significant input into some fantastically impressive architecture both at home and abroad.

Construction is one of the UK’s best performing market sectors and British construction is viewed as being the best in the world - partly due to the great talent that is being recruited each year through industry employers poaching graduates with good degrees linked to construction and the built environment…The range of opportunities is vast and graduates are entering the industry in a wealth of job roles, from architects to CAD operatives, to quantity surveyors and civil engineers.   

If you’re at the stage where you’re already at uni but perhaps not currently doing a degree which is directly linked to construction, you may be interested to know that the construction industry welcome graduates with not only construction associated degrees but also more diverse degrees to provide a more varied balance and bring a range of skills and talents to the mix. So don't worry if construction is what you want to do but you have a degree perhaps in Business Management or Languages - there are still plenty of jobs out there for you!

For those who of you who might be at school or college and are in the process of thinking about going to university, you might be wondering about the type of qualifications that you need to do a degree in construction.  Well to some extent it really depends on what course you are interested in and which university you want to study at. Often, you will need a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications, and for certain courses it may also help to have good grades in science or maths based subjects. To get the lowdown on the hundreds of construction courses and entry requirements at UK universities it’s a good idea to visit www.ucas.co.uk or have a look at university prospectuses which will probably be available from your careers advisor.

Once you’ve got the relevant qualifications in the industry, you’ll probably be thinking about finding a decent job that can make the most of all the skills you’ve picked up while at uni.  Most graduates entering the construction jobs market will find that they’re snapped up pretty quickly by employers and that’s because at the moment there is a shortage of graduates within the sector – although with the attractive salaries and benefits packages that many employers are offering this is starting to change significantly, and construction graduates are coming into the workplace from a huge range of diverse backgrounds.  In fact, employers are proud of the fact that they see the industry as one which really is open to all.

Fast Facts

• The UK construction industry is aiming to have 2.8 million workers by 2010 – that’s 348,000 new recruits over the next 4 years, – proving that there’s plenty of jobs out there for you!
• Over the last 10 years applicants to construction related degree courses have steadily increased – including applications from women and ethnic minorities, highlighting the diversity of the industry.
• The Eden Project has officially been crowned as Britain’s best-loved building in a national survey – not surprising when you consider the amazing architecture and striking design.
• The UK’s most recognisable landmark is the London Eye, with 98% of people able to recognise it at first glance.

Good News!

Many construction employers look to sponsor those at university and offer work experience placements and jobs upon graduation.  CITB-ConstructionSkills (industry Sector Skills Council) also offer Inspire Scholarships worth up to £9,000 during the length of your degree course – visit www.bconstructive.co.uk for lots more info!