| 1. The industry | | | | 3. Current climate |
| The UK's public sector employs 6.020 million - that's | | | | In the past decade, investment in the public sector has |
| 20% of the UK's total employment. It requires a huge | | | | increased from £19.4bn to £48.3bn. Most |
| number of construction skills and services, creating a | | | | of this is spent on education and healthcare. This |
| wide range of local authority construction jobs. | | | | increase has created many new local authority |
| Typically, work required by local authorities can be split | | | | construction jobs. |
| into three sections: building residential premises, | | | | In terms of the recession, local authority construction |
| constructing non-private facilities (NHS buildings, police | | | | jobs have so far remained strong. Whilst private |
| stations, etc.) and engineering construction (roads, | | | | sector employment levels have fallen, the public sector |
| bridges, etc). | | | | has increased by 285,000 workers since 2008. |
| 2. What do local authority construction jobs involve? | | | | It's expected that the majority of UK work, including |
| Public sector construction jobslet you give something | | | | 42% of all new public sector construction jobs, will be |
| back to the local community. Whether you're working | | | | in the South and East of England. This is due to major |
| on a new school building or maintaining electrical | | | | infrastructure and building developments like the 2012 |
| facilities in a police station, local authority construction | | | | Olympics and Thames Gateway regeneration |
| jobs are centered on upholding and improving the | | | | projects. These developments are expected to create |
| quality of localities across the nation. | | | | thousands of public sector construction jobs. |
| From architects to surveyors, the huge range of public | | | | 4. What will employers look for? |
| sector projects undertaken every year requires a vast | | | | Employers offering public sector construction jobs |
| bank of skills and roles. | | | | range from large multi-national main contractors to |
| Standards are high and often you'll find public sector | | | | smaller companies offering specialist services. Their |
| construction jobs will be under close scrutiny by the | | | | requirements will vary depending on the service they |
| local authority. Although local authorities may have their | | | | provide, but cover the whole spectrum of construction |
| own in-house experts - offering such public sector | | | | skills. |
| construction jobs as quantity surveyors - it's likely that | | | | With the growing focus on the environment and health |
| most public sector organisations, such as the NHS, will | | | | and safety, many employers will look for you to be |
| outsource. | | | | highly focused, motivated and relish a challenge. Public |
| As the public sector's so diverse, local authority | | | | sector deadlines are tight and can affect entire |
| construction jobs can involve working in all manner of | | | | localities, so the efficiency of every member of a |
| areas, from airports and bridge engineering to coastal, | | | | team is vital. |
| marine and environmental projects. | | | | |