Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Construction Job Opportunities Scotland


Scottish Construction Outlook 2008 – 2011

Scotland may not be the first place that people think of when they are considering migrating to find construction work. However with a solid output in social housing and a number of key infrastructure projects in planning it might be worth considering.

Overview
The latest figures available for construction activity in Scotland (2006) show a breakdown across four sectors as:
  • Repair and Maintenance Work 44%
  • Commercial 18%
  • Private 15%
  • Public non-residential 9%
The key geographic centres of construction activity are:
  • The central belt of Glasgow and Edinburgh and their surrounding areas
  • Aberdeen which provides land support for North Sea oil rigs

Numbers employed
In 2005 there were around 17,100 construction companies in Scotland employing 137,900 people. This accounts for about six per cent of all Scottish jobs. In addition an estimated 49,000 were operating in a self-employed capacity.
The average wage in 2005 was £487pw, 13 per cent higher than the average across Scotland.
Average employment growth from 2007-2011 is predicted to be eight percent. This sets the requirement for new construction recruits at 6,830 for each year. This figure is inclusive of
  • 1,450 new employees a year for wood trades and interior fit-outs and
  • 810 new construction professionals and technical staff.

Projected annual construction jobs vacancies to 2011
Wood Trades and Interior Fit-outs 1,450
Electrical trades and Installations 670
Painters and Decorators 400
Bricklayers 370
Plumbing and WAC Trades 290


Hot Jobs
At present there are a number of key job candidates in high demand in Scotland.
Most sought job candidates
  • Construction Professionals and Technical Staff
  • Construction Managers
  • Business Process Managers
  • Civil Engineering Operatives
  • Plant Operatives
  • Specialist Building Operatives
  • Wood Trades and Interior Fit-outs
  • Electrical Trades and Installation
  • Painters and Decorators
  • Bricklayers
  • Plumbing and WAC Trades
  • Roofers
Future prospects
Infrastructure is predicted to grow by 6.2 per cent annually over the coming years. Much of this will be derived from the Scottish government’s planned £3 billion investment programme in road, tram and rail projects.
Good growth in public housing output is also forecast until 2009.


Sources
Scottish Enterprise, Future Skills Scotland, Construction Skills Network Model 2006: Experian, Blueprint for UK Construction Skills 2007-2011

No comments: