From the architect’s first grand vision of a building right down to the painter and decorator who puts the finishing touches to the interior, the construction sector offers immense job satisfaction.
But did you know Scotland’s property industry also supports more than 92,000 jobs and contributes nearly £5 billion to the Scottish economy?
This is according to a brand new report: The Economic Contribution of the Commercial Property Sector.
Put together by the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute, for the Scottish Property Federation (SPF), it reveals the commercial property element of the nation’s construction industry has a direct economic impact of around £2.4 billion.
And when the so-called spillover effects are factored in, commercial property’s total impact is nearer £4.8 billion.
Amid the good news, however, the report also highlights the fact that the amount of new commercial property being built in terms of square feet is smaller than a decade ago.
To remedy this will mean increasing the supply of Grade A office stock – and that means a demand for construction workers.
If you’d like to bring your talents to the party, you must first decide whether you’re keen to take care of the big picture or happier with a getting-stuck-in, hands-on approach?
Here are two top construction roles that might help you decide.
Project manager
Your mission is to make sure construction projects are completed on time and within budget. After all, there’s no point in designing and investing lots of money in incredible buildings if they never see the light of day.
As the head honcho in a hard hat, the entire team will look to you to initiate and manage all aspects of projects big and small.
A degree accredited by Chartered Institute of Building and on-site experience will help your job application. And for a job well done you can expect an average salary in the region of £40,000-plus.
Labourer
Forget fancy suits, ‘high-powered’ meetings and pondering over plans. Let’s bring in the A Team of construction. Labourers are the task force who get things done and, if it wasn’t for your skills and work ethos, no project big or small would ever get more than a few feet off the ground.
As a labourer there are also great opportunities to learn on the job, while earning on average £19,000, and move into specialist construction trades.
These include electricians, roofers and plumbers. Being a ‘plumbers mate’ doesn’t mean you buy lunch every day – it could lead to a new career.
Build your own career with Construction vacancies on s1jobs.