Due to a recession hit UK, the construction industry has suffered in recent years although it has still remained as one of the largest sectors in the country contributing nearly £90 billion to the UK economy and around 3 million jobs. The industry concerns itself with the construction of buildings, civil engineering and even goes as far as sales and manufacturing of products. Due to the size of the industry, it's unsurprising that it is supported by a range of recruitment agencies looking to match capable construction candidates with the right clients. These could be permanent or temporary positions ranging from land surveyor to architect.
Construction can prove to be a well paid industry with the national average salary being over £30K. In Cleveland, workers in the sector can expect to earn more than this with £37K being the norm in this area of the North East. Of course, this figure is slightly distorted with the industry being so diverse, so graduates and new entrants into the field should expect to earn comfortably less than this. Typical positions in the industry include bricklayer, town planner, interior designer and quantity surveyor.
Much of the industry is labour intensive and few employees have degrees. While qualifications aren't necessary, there is a significant lack of graduate skills in management type positions. This, coupled with an increasingly ageing workforce, has improved prospects to move into the field. Candidates looking at more specialist areas of construction such as architecture are expected to go into further education to gain at least a degree if not a Masters or Diploma. Further qualifications such as the NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety may also be undertaken eventually.
Work in the industry can mean long and infrequent hours and so candidates have to be flexible and adaptable. Due to the nature of the work, there is also a certain expectation of physical fitness as well as the ability to work as part of a team. The majority of construction firms are small to medium sized businesses, although creating your own start-up can often be the best way into the industry.