People who work in construction take an active role in helping to shape the world around them. This is the industry that dreams up, designs and builds schools, hospitals, homes and creates the infrastructure that supports our villages, towns and cities. By working in construction, you become a part of this hugely important work that helps to drive the economy forward. Construction is also a sector which suits people from a multitude of backgrounds boasting a wide range of different skills. 

Construction never stands still, and neither will your career.

There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and access on-the-job training in construction. There’s no shortage of new construction jobs in the UK either, with the industry set to need more and more skilled people in future. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) predicts that the construction industry will need almost a quarter of a million extra workers between now and 2019. That’s around 45,000 more construction vacancies each year.  This means that construction companies will be short staffed and there will be more openings for people with all sorts of skills. 

There is a range of ‘Day in the life’ case studies you can look at to find out more. These stories include a young man called Cheston Stanley who is being sponsored by his current employer to work while studying part-time for a degree in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management to improve his prospects. They also feature a woman called Rebecca Gill who used her talent for DIY to secure a traineeship in painting and decorating, with her sights set on one day running her own business. 

The UK construction industry is the safest in Europe. On a construction site, health and safety is the most important priority at all times. Noise, dust, dirt and dangerous materials are all carefully controlled by safe working systems, safety signs and risk assessment. Most jobs in construction require health and safety training too so anyone going on site must go through a proper induction. 

Again, this is not an issue. In the construction industry we strive to build environments that are accessible to all. By employing people with disabilities or those who have experience of caring for people with different needs, we are better placed to design buildings which achieve this. 

In 2009 CITB launched a campaign called Net Ambitions to encourage more people with disabilities into the industry. These included Ray Goddard who was a bricklayer for 10 years until he fell from a ladder and suffered a severe fracture to his hand which he never fully recovered from. He retrained as an assessor and now trains other bricklayers. 

Jeremy Cross is another example. With numerous learning difficulties he found it difficult to work in a job requiring a lot of reading and writing. However, he found he had a natural talent for carpentry and has since found full-time employment with a company that supports him in the areas he struggles with. 

In Cornwall, salaries in the construction sector are strong and steadily rising, reflecting the growing demand for skilled workers across the region. The construction sector is the best paying industry, but salaries will vary depending on the role you choose to pursue. The more training you do, the faster your career will progress and the more you will earn.

Below is a range of salaries from varying job roles: