Construction and the built environment » Employment sector information » 16+ courses - Making the right decision » Learning

The construction sector is vital in contributing to the national economy. It is closely linked to the economy and it is the first to be affected by any economic downturn. Already there have been substantial job losses and many companies are less willing to take on permanent employees in case they need to make job cuts.

In the East of England the construction industry accounts for 8% of total employment, with around 150,000 employees. 47% of these are aged between 25 and 44. There are approximately 34,500 businesses, with almost 94% employing 10, or fewer, people.

The three largest occupational categories in the East of England are currently wood trades, managers and plumbers.

Apprenticeships are a useful way of learning an occupation in this sector. You can train while working and earning a living. However, recent increased interest in Apprenticeships has led to strong competition for places. Carpentry and joinery and plumbing are particularly popular.

What we think will happen

The economic slowdown has meant that there has been a significant reduction in house building and so available jobs.

This sector has around 56,000 unqualified workers in the East of England. Between 2002 and 2012, 35,000 of those working in skilled construction trades will have retired. 5,000 extra jobs are likely to be created to support the Olympic games 2012 building programme.

Managers, electrical staff, architects and technical staff are expected to be in demand over the next five years.

Females are under-represented locally, making up only 5% of the construction workforce.

New qualifications, called Diplomas, are being introduced in the next three years. These will help people prepare for university, college or work. Look out to see if the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment is on offer locally.

Is this you?

Always paying attention to detail
Like practical work and being outdoors
Interested in craft, design and technology

What 16 year olds did in 2008

In 2008 a total of 504 year 11 school leavers from local schools started full-time employment or work-based training. Of this number, 85 went into construction and the built environment related work. Nearly 17% of all year 11 local school leavers went into this sort of work.