Wide range of careers available in construction industry

College Choice: Brian Mooney's column on CAO options will appear each weekday in the run-up to the deadline at the end of this month.

Building and construction industry

Ireland has been transformed from a relatively under- developed economy to one of the wealthiest in Europe in a little over 20 years. One of the main driving forces of that development has been the building and construction industry, where employment continues to grow. The numbers employed were up by 9,100 in the first half of 2004.

The rapid role-out of motorways linking our major cities and the consequent spread of affordable new housing in towns and villages - up to two hours' driving time from people's workplaces - has led to a continuation of this boom. For those considering the wide range of careers in this sector, FÁS recently forecast that there would be an easing off of growth, with prices moderating as supply at the current high levels met the pent-up demand of a rapidly-expanding population. However, the demand for graduates of all disciplines within the construction sector remains high.

The first choice of a student wishing to work in the construction industry is normally to apply for courses in civil engineering or architecture. The industry has become so complex now that there are many very interesting and challenging disciplines outside these two programmes. Building services engineering is one such discipline. One analogy I was once given was that if civil engineers designed the skeleton of the human body, the building services engineers designed the veins, arteries and nervous system.

Ciara Ahern is a graduate of the honours building services engineering degree in DIT (DT005). "On leaving school I decided that I wanted to be an engineer. I chose to do the honours degree in building services. After graduating, I felt it necessary to gain a good grasp of building services system design so I worked in an engineering design consultancy for two years before making a move into the contracting side of the industry. I now act as a contracts manager for a Dublin- based firm, which I love as no two days are ever the same.

Students considering their CAO choices over the coming days who favour a career in the building and construction industry have a range of career opportunities available to them, with plenty of the courses available at university and Institutes of Technology.

Architecture

First there are the architects who oversee the design of buildings. There are two five-year architectural degree courses available through the CAO: DN001 in UCD and FT101 in DIT Bolton Street.

Entry to UCD is by points only. The DIT course is a restricted application course, with aptitude tests followed by interviews and portfolio presentation.

A maximum 200 points are awarded during this process. Last year the points required were 530 random selection in UCD and 576 in the DIT.

The National Building Agency (www.nba.ie) awards a scholarship for architecture to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In 2004 UCD introduced a three-year structural engineering with architecture degree, which required 490 points.

It aims to integrate the language of mathematics used by engineers with the visual and graphic language used by architects.

Examinations are completed in March to allow students to spend five months gaining approved work experience in Ireland, or abroad through exchange schemes operating with France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Students gaining a 2H2 can proceed to a two-year masters programme, which will give them strong analytical and design skills, an understanding of all aspects of building construction and a good knowledge of project management.

Architectural technology

Architectural technologists, sometimes known as architectural technicians, usually work alongside architects.

They prepare the paperwork used in construction including schedules as well as free-hand and computer-aided designs.

DIT (DT105), a restricted application course; Cork IT (CR090); Waterford IT (WD0943); Carlow IT (CW 064) and (CW119) on the Wexford campus all offer level seven courses where the points required will range from 340 to 450.

Interior architecture

Interior architecture/design graduates also work with architects.

The institutes of technology in Cork (CR053) and Sligo (SG336) offer interior design courses which require 310-360 points. Griffith College Dublin offers such a course and it costs €4,950.

Students on these kinds of courses often ask if they can then study architecture. The answer is simple. The chances of being accepted on to either of the two degree courses in architecture in Ireland are slim to remote.

However, the situation is different in the UK. Many graduates of these disciplines are accepted on to architecture degree courses in the UK, and get various exemptions based on their qualifications.

Surveying

Before an architect gets involved the land has to be surveyed and the environmental implications of the proposed building, along with its compliance with planning regulations, weighed up. Two degree programmes at the DIT train graduates for this work which involves land surveying (DT112) and planning and environmental management (DT116).

The number of points required will probably fall to between 300 and 400 this year.

Quantity surveying

Once the architect has designed the building, a quantity surveyor will analyse the design for the purpose of cost planning, detailed tendering, cost and control.

The DIT (DT111) and Limerick IT (LC471) offer four-year degrees in quantity surveying, where the points required are around 400.

Construction management

The next stage is the management of the building process. This involves the organisation of contracts for labour, materials, plant, and negotiations with contractors.

Waterford IT (WD025), Limerick IT (LC491) and Galway-Mayo IT (GA442) offer level eight degrees in construction management. UL is introducing a new degree, construction management and engineering, in 2005. The points required for all programmes may be in the 300-400 range. The DIT also offers a level seven construction technology ordinary degree (DT103).

Valuation surveyor

Once the building is finished, the chartered/valuation surveyor gets involved. Graduates of this discipline operate as surveyors, valuers, estate agents, property advisers, developers and planners in either the private or public sector.

DIT (DT110), Limerick IT, Dundalk IT and Galway-Mayo IT (GA443) offer four-year degrees in property valuation and management. Again the points required are likely to be in the 300 to 400 range.

Auctioneering

For those interested in auctioneering the DIT offers an ordinary degree (FT104), which required 380 points in 2004.

Construction studies

For students interested in a broad education and technical training in the principles and techniques of construction, 10 IT's offer two-year certificate courses in construction studies.

They are Athlone, Carlow, Cork, Dundalk, Letterkenny, Galway-Mayo, Sligo, Tralee, Limerick and Waterford.

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