Blog » Why you should get a job in construction

Why you should get a job in construction

26th May 2017

There’s a crisis in the construction sector.

No, not the sort of crisis which brought the sector to its knees in the wake of the credit crunch and subsequent downturn after 2007.

Then the demand for new buildings – both residential and commercial – fell off a cliff and the industry which probably helped more people buy Ferraris in Northern Ireland than any other contracted to a fraction of its former self.

This crisis is different, although it’s also a product of those boom and bust times, but it’s a crisis none the less, a skills crisis.

Because careers advisors up and down the country have been warning against going into a job which has garnered a host of negative headlines since the downturn and because construction companies, up until the last couple of years, haven’t been the busiest, there aren’t enough skilled workers to go around.

The National Construction Skills Academy (NCSA) said there are currently 30,000 people working in construction compared to 47,000 in 2007.

You only have to look around you to see there are more buildings going up compared to a year, two years ago.

For a long time there was only one construction crane on the Belfast skyline – building the City Quays complex for Belfast Harbour, seeing as you ask – but now you can hardly go down the street for a skinny decaf soy macchiato without running into to a considerate constructor.

The hotel sector alone is accounting for its fair share of this crane craziness with an estimated 27 projects either going through planning, about to start or already in process. And don’t forget the growing number of residential developments and offices which are being mooted or already being built.

Some of the biggest firms which spent the last few years tackling building work in London or further afield – where workers fly out on a Monday morning from Belfast and return on a Friday afternoon – because there was nothing here for them are now being offered work on their doorstep.

All the construction companies building these projects need workers and they can’t find them in many cases.

For proof, go to the monthly survey from the RICS and Tughans which showed that half of construction firms are facing a shortage of brick layers while nearly two thirds are struggling to find quantity surveyors.

So what does all this mean for you?

Well, if you’ve got any skills related to the construction sector, or which you can show can be transferable to the construction sector, then you could land yourself a plumb job.

A quick look at the Construction and Architecture folder on nijobfinder.co.uk reveals a ream of roles – from labourer to quantity surveyor, project manager to bid writer – which are paying good wages due to the high demand/short supply situation.

And if you want to upskill to go into the sector, the NCSA is providing training for trades including bricklaying, plastering, tiling and joinery, while technical colleges around the country also offer some form of training.

If you’re worried about another implosion occurring in the sector, take heart from the fact lending for building has been much more restrained and the market for both commercial and residential property is rallying, but at a steady, sustainable pace.

So, don’t overlook a job in the construction sector, one which is in high demand and offers the chance for a long-term career.

Take advantage of the current crisis and get stuck in.

Back to Top