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The construction sector offers various on-site job roles in different industrial parts, such as Infrastructure, House Building, Commercial and Off-site work.
Take a look below at a range of on-site job roles in construction you could take and what you can potentially earn in each position.
People who work in an on-site construction job role tend to use machinery, tools and building materials to do their work. You will typically have to work on a range of different sites depending on where the work is available, and you must also cooperate as part of a team. On-site job roles are available with small contractors up to giant firms, but they all require you to work to the same health and safety standards.
The Site Manager will set out the site before work commences, manage the workforce on-site and oversee the ongoing work. In addition, you will manage the work on-site, ensuring it meets the client’s agreed timescale, budget, and specifications.
Site Manager’s earn on average between £34k – £55k per year depending on the employer and the work location. Find out how to become one here: Site Manager
Relevant courses: SMSTS, SMSTS Refresher, NVQ Level 6 in Site Management, Black Manager CSCS Card
The Banksman or Signaller is a vital role on-site. As a Banksman, you will be in charge of guiding plant operators and vehicle drivers safety around the site. You need to conduct this role correctly to ensure the safety of other workers on-site.
Signaller’s earn on average between £22k – £25k per year.
Relevant courses: Traffic Management & Vehicle Banksman
As a Bricklayer, you will work outdoors and usually as part of a team. Bricklayers work with a range of building blocks in mortar to build and fix various structures. Brickies can work on projects a small as building a brick wall, all the way up to new-builds and commercial buildings.
Bricklayers tend to earn a salary of £12.k – £17k. As they become more experienced, they can make between £17k – £30k. Master Bricklayers can earn up to £40k.10,00
Many bricklayers are self-employed, so their rates may differ from the above.
Relevant courses: CITB Health & Safety Awareness, Working at Heights
A Plasterer works on nearly every building site at some point in the construction process. The plasterer will use solid or fibrous plastering to make walls ready for the decorating process.
Depending on your career stage, a plasterer can earn between £12k – £28k a year.
Relevant courses: NVQ Level 2 in Plastering Solid, NVQ Level 3 in Plastering Solid
A Scaffolder will erect temporary scaffold structures on-site to allow personnel to work safely on-site. As a Scaffolder, you will be working outdoors and to work competently and independently. The job can be very demanding physically, so you will need to be physically fit.
Depending on your experience level, a scaffolder can earn a salary between £12k – £44k. The above does not apply to those who are self-employed.
Relevant qualifications: Working at Heights, Basic Scaffolding Inspection, Advanced Scaffolding Inspection, CISRS Card, CISRS (COTS), Safety Harness
A joiner creates the interior elements out of wood, such as kitchens, doors, windows, and stairs. Working as a joiner can be a varied occupation. Most joiners will work from a mixture of the workshop and on-site.
Several roles fall under the Joiner category:
Each role will offer a different salary due to several qualifications and experience you will need for each one.
A carpenter uses their skill with woodwork to manipulate timber to be used in construction either by hand or with power tools. A carpenter’s work is a significant part of the construction of walls, roofing and flooring. The majority of construction sites will need a carpenter, making them very popular in the construction industry.
You will need to understand technical drawings and the various types of wood to conduct your duties correctly. On average, a carpenter would earn a salary between £5k and £30 depending on their level of skill and experience.
Relevant courses: Level 2 in Wood Occupations – Site Carpentry, CITB Health & Safety Awareness
The need for individuals with strong managerial skills is very high and vital to closing the construction skills gap. These qualified professionals are integral in the organisation and monitoring of projects and teams in construction. These construction site job roles will require you to check that a project works to the relevant time constraints, budget and the customer’s specifications.
Project Managers are in charge of managing work to finish. They will also look after health & safety, costs, quality and time management.
It would help if you started in an entry-level position to obtain this role; you will provide technical assistance and work towards a higher position.
You will need to gain experience in planning, construction and operations management, and health and safety.
Relevant qualifications: The majority of project managers will have an educational background. They are likely to have a degree and will have excellent people skills. This role’s recommended course would be the NEBOSH Construction Certificate or NEBOSH Diploma to increase your knowledge of Health and Safety. They may also want to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in construction project management or a similar role. To get on-site, they would also need a CSCS Black Manager Card.
The BIM Manager or Building Information Modelling Manager must know about 3D modelling works for the whole team involved. BIM is the method of designing a building through 3D computer models. The BIM Manager will work with his team to fathom the content needed to meet the client’s needs for a project. A BIM Manager is a generally new skill base in the built environment and is increasingly demanding.
To conduct this role, you will need extensive software, hardware, template creation, research and development and client support knowledge. BIM Managers generally work a standard 9-5 week but may be required to work extra hours to meet deadlines.
Building Information Modelling Managers can earn a salary of £20k – £80 depending on their qualification and experience level.
Health & safety is very important onsite; therefore, as a Risk Manager, you are required to monitor the risks on-site and work out how You can avoid them. You will implement risk management strategies and communicate them to protect the employees, customers, and the public. They need to know legal requirements, potential costs, risk assessments, and reporting their findings.
A risk manager can earn between £20k – £74k a year, depending on their career stage.
A Learning and Development Manager must manage the training requirements and continue developing a company’s employees. This rob role requires Learning and Development Managers to arrange internal and third-party training for each worker to conduct their job role legally and competently.
Other duties may include; working closely with HR, inductions, appraisals, producing training materials and working with managers to understand employee training needs.
Most positions in this role are a 40-hour week unless you work with those who work in shifts. On average, you can earn between £22k – £65k per year.
The Plant Operator’s job is to drive heavy machinery or (plant) around the site. Plant machinery moves lifts and digs materials that a person couldn’t. Usually, in this role, each vehicle has its operator that specialises in a specific machine. You operate the plant machinery as well as conducting safety tests on them and changing attachments.
Plant Operators earn on average between £10k – £40k per year depending on their level of experience.
You are in control of all the plant on a construction site. You will work with multiple projects worldwide and manage the hiring, buying and transportation of heavy machinery.
A Plant Manager earn a salary usually between £20k – £50k.
A Plant Mechanic’s role is to maintain and repair the plant on site. The construction industry has a high demand for Plant Mechanics. Site Managers almost always need them. The job requires you to be physically fit and have a good work ethic as the job is demanding physically. You will need to know how to use various tools and know-how to conduct safety checks on the machines.
Many Plant Mechanics are self-employed, so their rates can differ, but employed mechanics can earn £20k – £30K plus.
Estimators use detailed analysis and research on costs to provide cost estimates for construction projects. Therefore, you should know the different types and costs of building materials, blueprints and building method, and subcontractor knowledge.
The role requires you to have an understanding of expenses, building design and contract formats. You will also pick up essential skills in engineering and construction. You will move your way up the career ladder from Junior Estimator to Chief Estimator.
This department manages the health and safety activities on site. Individuals who look to take this career path are likely to already have a background in the industry, specifically within site inspections. If you have strong verbal and written communication skills and good working knowledge of HSE regulations, this is a good career path.
Excellent starting qualifications are essential health and safety qualifications such as Risk Assessment & Method Statement.
Vital qualifications include the NEBOSH Construction Certificate and the NEBOSH Diploma. You will also need an NVQ Level 6 in Health & Safety to show your on-the-job competence. Becoming a Chartered Member of IOSH (CMIOSH) is another way of demonstrating your capability.
HR professionals work on providing support to employees and help to ensure the smooth running of the business. If you are good at multi-tasking, administration skills, and organisation, HR could be the job.
There are plenty of entry-level roles available for this field. In these roles, you will pick up the required skills whilst learning on the job.
Administrators in the construction industry conduct their work on-site in a field office or from a head office. Administrators usually attain their role through entry-level openings or apprenticeships.
If you are looking for this type of construction role, you will pick up any needed knowledge of how construction and manufacturing work just by doing the job. In addition, you will need basic IT skills and a reasonable phone manner to succeed. For office-based roles, it always helps to learn First Aid at Work as it is a legal requirement to have at least one first aider in a workplace at one time.
Most trade based careers require an apprenticeship that usually involves going through an NVQ Level 2 in the relevant field.
However, labourers require some on-site job experience. Therefore, everyone working on a construction site in the UK must have a CSCS Card or equivalent. To obtain this card, you will first need to complete an NVQ or attend the CITB Health and Safety Awareness course. You will also need to complete the Health and Safety Environment Operatives Test.
Some employers also require other qualifications such as Asbestos Awareness, Working at Heights & Manual Handling. For more information, take a look at “How To Apply For a CSCS Green Card”.
Take a look at how the SSSTS course can help you become one here: Become a Construction Site Supervisor
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