How to Work in the Construction Industry

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Are you interested in a career in the building and construction industry or have you just finished a certificate IV in building and construction? Are you looking to take your career to the next level with certified Construction Training Courses? If yes, then it is essential to know the jobs that are offered by the industry and how a building and construction project works from the beginning to the end.

Overview

The building and construction sector engages in construction, installation and maintenance, reconstruction, additions, alterations, and repairs of structures of buildings. The building and construction industry in Victoria made $20.9 billion in revenue. There are approximately 238, 700 people who are currently employed by this sector. Over the past five years, the sector has grown by 6%. From this, the most growth is in the construction services subsector. Additionally, in 2012, 42% of all jobs in the building and construction industry was accounted for by the top five employing occupations. These are carpenters and joiners, plumbers, painting trade workers, electricians, and construction project managers.

How does a construction Job Start?

construction Job
A construction project starts with a client who has something to be constructed. The client might be an individual, a private business, a central government department, a local authority, or a property development company. The client determines what is being built, the period of construction, and the budget.

The hiring of a Consultant

The hiring of a Consultant
After the client determines the details of the construction project, they will then hire a consultant to offer advice on matters concerning any regulations, cost, and design. The client can either have one or multiple consultants. Even so, one consultancy firm will oversee the project. Common consultant firms are cost consultancy, architect practices, and electrical, mechanical, structural, and civil employers. Consultants will then work on the project’s design and offer the cost details. After this decision has been passed, there will be a determination of the construction worker to work on the project.

Working for a Consultant

Working for a Consultant
Working as a consultant means designing things. The project is designed by the architect, the technical details are confirmed if they can work by the civil engineers, and the price of the design is calculated by the quantity surveyors. All these drawings and documents are managed through a drawing and document management system. You will get to visit job sites from time to time, but you will mostly work in the office. The office working hours are generally between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm. In case you have short deadlines, you might have to work for more extended hours. Usually, you will work on more than one project at a time. When you take on a new project, it might be months or years before it is completed.

The hiring of a Contractor

The hiring of a Contractor
After the consultants hire a contractor, the project begins being constructed. Contractors make sure that the project is being built to the agreed timeframe, budget, and quality. The consultants will instruct the contractors what to do and any design issues that the contractors might have will be handled by the consultants. Contractors include trades or craft people, quantity surveyors, civil engineers, and site managers.

Contractors will often vary in what they specialise in, and will often only stick to one “line of work”. For example, a contractor may specialsie in granny flats (view the granny flat building process), or the building of commercial multistory offices. It’s quite rare for a contractor to vary and be a “jack of all trades”, as most specialise in one area.

Working as a Contractor

Working as a Contractor
In this job, you work in all weathers on the job site or from a temporary site office. Sometimes you will be required to work overnight or in shifts depending on the job. Working hours are quite long between 7:30 am, and 6:00 pm and you might have to extend to beat the deadline. Contrary to consultants, contractors handle a single project at a time.

The hiring of a Subcontractor

When a project requires specialized knowledge and skills that the contractor lacks, the contractor might hire a specialist organization. The duties given to subcontractors include electrical and plumbing work, foundation work, structural steelwork, and reinforced concrete works. It would always be useful to have accreditation to work in specific conditions. An example of this is work safety at heights. This can help give a piece of mind that quality work is being carried out.

Working as a Subcontractor

The working hours for subcontractors are similar to those of a contractor, and you will be needed to work on site. They are typically smaller employers.

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