Sports stadia. Industrial and chemical plants. Offshore oil and gas facilities. Some of the most awe-inspiring buildings of the twentieth and twenty-first century would simply not be here if it weren't for the engineering construction industry.
The industry designs, builds and maintains all types of process plants.
Engineering construction is crucial for the UK economy. It generates about 1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product. But there's more than that. Imagine the UK without oil, gas, chemicals and power generators - they all rely on the skills of engineering construction.
Around 50,000 people work in engineering construction in the UK. There are also about 30,000 people in the industry who work overseas. One of the benefits of the industry is that it gives you the chance to travel and work in other cultures that many other professionals simply wouldn't experience.
Some professionals in the industry work on-site as craftspeople - for example as steel erectors, mechanical fitters, pipefitters and welders. Beyond craftspeople there are many other on-site jobs too, such as maintenance and process technicians, operations staff, project managers and controllers.
Not all work is on-site
Not all engineering construction work is on-site. A number of professionals have office-based jobs, such as designers, computer operators and administrative professionals. Whatever role someone chooses to take in the industry, they need specialist skills. And that's where the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB ) can help.
ECITB
The chances are that if you choose a career in the engineering construction, at some point you'll call upon the services of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB ). We're here to make sure the training in the sector is the very best. We focus on developing the skills of people who work on site, such as craftspeople and supervisors, as well as the skills of office-based staff like designers and managers.
Training Programs
From apprenticeships to project management training, we run a wide range of training programmes to help all levels of professionals in the industry. We're also the awarding body for NVQ and SVQ qualifications which are used and promoted throughout the industry. By maintaining excellent standards, we can encourage more highly talented people into engineering construction and make sure that the UK can compete in world markets.
