We have answered some of your construction FAQs. If you have more questions please contact us by phone or email which can be found at the bottom of each page.
Your opportunities within construction are endless. Average salaries within construction in Cornwall are £34,000 (as of August 2019), this is the highest average salary out of any sector in the county. Salaries do vary greatly from low end, unskilled work to highly technical skilled. If you want to earn the higher salaries it is best to continue to develop your skills and expertise throughout your working life. A great range of jobs, and their approximate salaries can be found on the CareerPilot and Go Construct websites.
In the construction industry people with disabilities cannot be discriminated against – and employers have much to gain from taking on a diverse workforce. You can find a wealth of information here.
There is a wide range of jobs and careers within construction from entry-level up to managerial and consultant. A great range of jobs within construction can be found on the CareerPilot and Go Construct websites.
From August 2018/19 there were 375 jobs advertised in construction. That said the NPR highlight that 70% of jobs are not advertised. This is likely to be higher within the construction industry where a lot of jobs are filled through word of mouth and using already established networks.
If 70% of jobs are unadvertised the truer figure of the amount of jobs within the sector in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly would be 1250.
Starting an apprenticeship is easy if you have an employer who wants to take you on. This could be a small or large business, a local firm, a family member or a self-employed person. Businesses can find information about how to take on an apprentice on the .Gov website here.
If you haven’t got an employer yet, don’t worry. There are lots of ways to find somebody who wants to hire you as an apprentice:
When speaking to employers, let them know that, depending on their circumstances, they could receive up to £12,000 in grants from the government or Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for taking you on. This will help them to meet the costs of employing you.
During year 10 most schools in the county offer opportunities to students to attend a week’s work experience. If you have an interest in construction you will be able to apply to a range of construction companies to take you for this week. It is advised that you start this process as early as possible and prove to the organisations that you are applying to that you are genuinely passionate about their sector.
If your school does not offer work experience or you are older you could approach businesses yourself to ask if they will take you on for experience. Businesses love to work with people who are genuinely passionate about their sector, so try to make a good impression and highlight how passionate you are.
With so many different roles within the construction industry each role requires different skills. There will be a completely different set of skills required for an architect, compared to a brick layer, compared to a financial planner. It would be beneficial for you to consider and reflect on your own skills and what jobs these might be best suited to.
Women make up around 14% of construction industry professionals and this number can only be set to rise with more and more women choosing construction jobs. Women working in construction is on the increase. 37% of new entrants into the industry that came from higher education are women. For more information about women in construction visit the GoConstruct website here.