The construction industry is important to the UK's economy and is also one of the biggest employers. The latest Construction Skills Network forecast report estimates that between now and 2023, around 33,700 extra construction workers will be needed each year. There's a particular demand for those with technical, supervisory and management expertise, and for professionals such as civil engineers and surveyors.

Below you'll find links to videos created by employers and organisations in the sector to help you get a taste of what working in this sector is like.

Videos:

Career in construction: Webinar on careers in the Construction Industry 

Introduction to careers in construction. An introduction to careers in construction in London

Jobs in construction featuring guest speakers construction companies including Balfour Beatty Vinci, CECA and Ranstad

Apprenticeships with Balfour Beatty. Everything you need to know about apprenticeships with Balfour Beatty

Becoming an Architect: RIBA Learning, in partnership with Found Futures, proudly presents this captivating short film designed to inform and inspire you about the dynamic pathways to becoming an architect.

Subject Guide Videos:
An impartial guide to university courses - featuring expert speakers and on demand webinars.
These impartial videos support students who are considering university to make informed future subject decisions. They feature guest speakers from a range of different universities, who are always experts in the subject being explored.

Unifrog Free Webinars:

Live webinars across a variety of careers - requires booking.

Adviza Podcasts and Past Webinars:

We have recorded many useful webinars with a huge variety of employers and sector champions. Have a look in our Past Webinar section.

The webinars are in date order. You may want to check out these dates to find webinars in relation to Construction: 

• 22nd November 2023 - Property
• 10th October 2023 - Surveying

Virtual work experience opportunities:

Halliday Fraser Munro.

The two work experiences:

The Design Work Experience – This experience is made up of two tasks, the first to get you familiar with SketchUp and the second to design a house for a celebrity. (Approximate time to complete – 30 hours)
‍
The Technical Work Experience – Our newest work experience task is to design and construct a new-build contemporary extension using Revit. (Approximate time to complete – 30 hours)

Introduction to Masonry

This free online Masonry Introduction course will teach you about the essential masonry tasks, such as the spreading of mortar, furrowing, buttering, and bricklaying. Masonry is the building of structures from individual units and with this online course, you will learn about the basic masonry units such as clay bricks, concrete blocks, and stone.

Introduction to the Electrical Trade

With this free online Introduction to the Electrical Trade course from Alison, you will learn everything you need to know to work on residential, and industrial projects as an electrician. We are incredibly dependent on electrical power, as for our everyday lives to function efficiently we need an uninterrupted supply of electricity. This makes electricians highly valued professionals. Jumpstart your electrician's career, today. 

Introduction to Carpentry

This free online Introduction to Carpentry course will teach you how to build beautiful structures that can last for centuries. Carpenters have one of the highest job satisfaction rates in the construction industry. The carpentry trade offers numerous career opportunities, from constructing forms to creating fine cabinetry. Learn everything about carpentry in a few short hours and enhance your skills or start a new career!

Introduction to Plumbing

This free online Introduction to Plumbing course teaches the skills you need to kick off your plumbing career. Can you imagine living without access to a water supply and basic sanitation systems? Plumbers and professionals working in the plumbing industry make sure that our plumbing needs are always met. With this course, you will learn about the installation of pipes and plumbing fixtures, the maintenance of drainage, and more.

Speakers For Schools

Try different jobs in real life through free VWEX so you can find the best fit for you.  Speakers for Schools are a non-profit organisation offering free UK-wide work experience. 

Explore Forage Work Experience Programs  

Media to Explore (See also Engineering and Art & Design: Architecture):

Many young people have been inspired by TV shows, movies etc. to follow a particular career. We have collated some resources here for you to discover. We have included podcasts because they are the best way to get real insight into the industry’s current dynamics and are a great way to demonstrate knowledge and passion in personal statements and interviews.

Please note, we have not specified the platforms for these resources as they can change over time. We suggest you do a web search for the title – you will often find them on YouTube in their entirety. Some titles will only be available for a fee or subscription.

Please be aware that not all of the titles below are appropriate for all ages. Please check the age appropriateness before watching. Common sense media are a good resource to use to do this.

TV Factual: The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes, Grand Designs, Dream Big. Building Dream Homes, Constructing The Shard, The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild, Extreme Engineering.

TV Reality: Nick Knowles Heritage Rescue, Your Home Made Perfect, Dream Bathrooms and Kitchens, Masters of Flip, Escape to the Chateau, New Home DIY, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, The Great Interior Design Challenge, Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country, Stay Here, Amazing Interiors, Property Brothers, Community, Impossible Builds

Radio & Podcasts: The Art of Construction, Construction Brothers, Talking Infrastructure, Building Soul (BBC Sounds)

Useful Websites:

Funding boost to support young people into planning careers

Over fifty students will receive a £5,000 planning bursary, covering up to 50% of university fees, to support a career in planning. The new scheme, launched on 12 May 2023, increases the size of the bursary from £2,000 to £5,000, covering up to 50% of the cost of the student’s university fees. It is aimed at disadvantaged students including those who struggled financially, with care responsibilities, or those with disabilities, helping to boost diversity in the planning sector.

eCLIPS - Job Group: Building and Construction

CITB (The Construction Industry Training Board) - the industry training body for the construction sector. For information on CITB Apprenticeships, training and courses etc. 

Go Construct - the CITB careers website has lots of useful information and tools to help you explore different careers in construction. The 'Careers A-Z' gives details on the range of building trades.

House Building Careers - website from the Home Builders Federation has useful information on the various careers involved in building homes.

COTAC (Council on Training in Architectural Conservation) - for lists of colleges that offer courses in heritage crafts, plus information on the heritage sector in general.

Building Pathways - for information on skills training, mentoring and career opportunities in construction, particularly for those from underrepresented groups.

Women into Construction - for student mentoring programmes, links to member companies and to read 'Journeys into Construction' case studies.

A Graduate’s Guide to Becoming a Contractor. Contracting is a great way to get work straight out of university and will help you gain experience. Umbrella Contracting takes a look at how contracting works.

Open Doors - normally held in October each year, this is a week run by Build UK where you can go on site visits and/or virtual experiences in order to find out about the range of careers in construction.

Jobs are advertised in local newspapers (and their websites), through trade associations/professional bodies, at the Jobcentre Plus and through its Find A Job service There are also specialist recruitment sites, such as Talentview (this site, which is supported by the CITB, allows you to register for alerts and also has an A-Z of employers and training providers, industry news etc)

Careers in Construction
Discover career opportunities. and search and apply for your dream job.

For a comprehensive map of alternative construction career progression, see the pdf below:

Construction Career Progression Map