Study Construction and the Built Environment For a Career in Construction Management

A career in the construction industry is now more than just physical labour, with specialist courses and degrees now available at both college and university, enabling those within the industry to flourish.

The construction industry is worth in excess of £110 billion to the UK economy, making up 7% of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing an economic snapshot into the true value of the industry.

While the demand for practical skills such as carpentry, trowel trades, electrical installation and plumbing is still a required, premium skill, the management and planning side of the industry is a growing, high-salaried profession.

A qualification in Construction and the Built Environment creates a specialised pathway into a variety of employable roles: 

• Property development and planning
• Advanced home construction
• Building services and sustainable engineering
• Quantity surveying
• Construction and property management
• Site management
• Management consultancy
• Planning and development surveying

Another bonus of a career in construction management is the scale of demand. Typically, a construction management qualification would enable graduates to take up roles within the high-paying private sector, but is also appropriate for government or public sector roles.

What courses can you study at Oaklands College?

Oaklands College offers students of all ages the opportunity to enter employment within the construction industry, by providing practical assessment units to gain first-hand experience to learning and developing students into employable prospects ready to embark on a career in construction management, at both diploma and degree level.
Level 3 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment

Twelve units are required to achieve the Level 3 Diploma in Construction. There are 6 core units and 6 specialised units (all of which must be passed).

The 6 core units are: Health, Safety and Welfare, Sustainable Construction, Construction Technology Design, Science and Materials in Construction, Mathematics in Construction, -Building Technology in Construction.

The 6 specialised units are: Project Management in Construction, Graphical Detailing, Surveying in Construction, -Building Surveying, CAD and Surveying.

This course is available at part-time or full-time levels.

HNC in Construction and the Built Environment

This two year, part-time course is designed to build on your current employment with highly relevant, specialised studies that will prepare you for a range of careers in the construction industry. You will study units covering practical construction skills together with the underlying theoretical and scientific concepts.

Job expectations:

• As a key point of contact on the project, managing competing demands from the client, the public and a range of other professionals can sometimes seem overwhelming.
• Your time will mostly be split between working on site and working from an office, which may be in temporary premises on the site or may be a client’s office.
• When working on site in all weathers, you’ll be expected to wear protective and high-visibility clothing, which will be provided by your employer.
• Construction managers are in high demand, meaning the career can take employees all over the world, working abroad.
• Responsible for managing individuals in various roles, you are expected to plan, assess and discuss all plans and processes with the architect, surveyors and even buyers.
• Women are under-represented in the construction industry, comprising about 14% of the total workforce (Go Construct, 2019). However, this figure is increasing as more and more pioneering women enter the construction industry.

Salary expectations:

• Starting salaries for construction managers typically range from £26,000 to £33,000.
• Experienced construction managers can earn between £33,000 and £50,000.
• Senior and chartered construction managers can earn in the region of £50,000 to £70,000+.

Meet: Euan Beaddie –

Euan Beaddie studied both a Level 3 Diploma and Higher National Certificate in Construction Management at Oaklands College and now works for contracting, residential development and property support business Willmott Dixon.

Euan, who studied at Oaklands College as part of his traineeship with Willmott Dixon between 2014-17, is the perfect example of the pathway students can take, alongside employment, to achieve a career within construction management.

“I gained a great deal from both courses and the Welwyn Garden City campus was close to where I lived, so it made travelling to and from work easy and accessible.”

Euan currently works as an Assistant Building Manager at Willmott Dixon and has just started the final year of his Construction Management degree at the University of Hertfordshire.

The Construction Management degree is delivered through the UCSA programme, a joint educational venture between Oaklands College and the University of Hertfordshire, more information can be found here.