Construction is all around us – from buildings to industrial areas to infrastructure and more. Every career in construction works together like pieces of a puzzle to ensure a finished creation of work, whether that’s a team consisting of plumbers, roofers, electricians and bricklayers, or engineers, architects, town planners and surveyors.
This sector covers plenty of interesting roles and right now, it is thriving.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Around 14,500 people work as employees within the Buckinghamshire Construction sector. Not only this, a further 9,000 work in the sector on a self-employed basis.
- HS2, the high-speed railway line, is expected to create another 4,000 jobs during its construction.
- Over the last 7 years, the construction workforce in Buckinghamshire has experienced massive growth, totalling 30%. The sector is undoubtedly thriving.
- Within Buckinghamshire, around 55 training providers have delivered construction-related training.
- EKFB, which is made up of civil engineering and construction companies such as Eiffage Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall, is carrying out the main building works for HS2 across Buckinghamshire and our neighbouring counties.
- 4,500 employees are involved in the construction of residential buildings across the county, including 2,250 focusing on electrical installation.
THE WORKFORCE:
Some of the key employers within the local construction trade are
EKFB,
Cala Group,
Taylor Wimpey,
Buckingham Group Contracting Limited,
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited,
Morgan Sindall,
Flannery Plant Hire,
Ringway Jacobs,
Balfour Beatty,
Origin,
Inland Homes,
Optima Systems,
Grant and Stone, and
WysePower.
Why not visit their websites and see if your skills and qualifications match the roles they are looking to hire for?
If you are looking to become self-employed, remember to brush up on your entrepreneurial skills, including things like staying on top of your taxes, maximising your coordination skills and marketing yourself.
If you are keen to get into this workforce and need to up-skill or study further, see below for what routes you can take into one of these careers.
ROUTES INTO CONSTRUCTION ROLES:
Use the list below as a starting point for what you could study in order to work within the Construction sector in Buckinghamshire.
- Milton Keynes College is currently offering a T Level in Construction Design, Surveying and Planning; Electrical Installation; Carpentry; Engineering; Bricklaying; The Anglian Water Alliances Construction Programme and more!
- Bucks College Group offers Site Carpentry, Bricklaying and other construction-related qualifications beginning at level 1.
- Uxbridge College offers Building Services, Engineering and Plumbing courses, to name a few.
- Apprenticeships are also available locally for many roles within construction.
- The new HS2 Jobs Board offers those looking for work or a change of career, the opportunity to search the very latest vacancies with HS2’s construction partners and station contractors delivering Phase One of the railway.
