Construction & Trades careers

You build the fabric of buildings — walls, arches, chimneys — outdoors, by hand, at pace. Short route in, real skill, physical cost.

You install, test and fix the systems every building depends on — power, lighting, EV chargers, fire alarms. Strong demand, licensable skill, solid pay.

You install and repair the systems people notice only when they break — water, heating, drainage. Emergency callouts pay a premium; boiler work needs Gas Safe.

You work wood on site and in the workshop — first-fix framing to second-fix finish. Two trades in one, steady demand, and the most common springboard to site management.

You turn blockwork and board into finishable surfaces — the trade every other finish depends on. Hard to learn, hard on the body, chronically short of good people.

You prep, paint and paper the finishes people actually see — the last trade on the job and the easiest to enter. Most decorators work for themselves; the money follows speed and finish.

You keep water out — tiles, slate, felt and flat-roof systems, at height, in all weathers. The most physical trade, weather-dependent, and short of people who can actually do it.

You're the first trade on site — drainage, foundations, kerbs, roads and slabs before anything stands up. Plant tickets multiply your rate; the work is hard, wet and essential.

You control the money on construction projects — costing work, negotiating contracts, keeping programmes solvent. The commercial mind of the site, degree or apprenticeship route.

You run the site — programme, subcontractors, safety, problems. The person every decision lands on. Trade background or degree route in.

You design the systems that make buildings work — heating, cooling, power, ventilation, lighting. The engineering half of construction: degree or degree-apprenticeship route, growing demand from decarbonisation.