Jobs in construction

Jobs in construction
Tradesmen, foremen and professionals still wanted by firms, with attractive pay offered
By Debbie Yong



If you are looking for a job, the construction industry wants you.

Companies need tradesmen and foremen, as well as professionals in areas such as the management of green buildings.

And the pay is nothing to be sniffed at either.

A crane operator can command a basic pay of $1,400 to $1,700. With experience, he could take home $3,800 to $5,000.

At the supervisory level, starting salaries range from $1,600 to $2,500, and can rise to $4,000 with experience.

Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, revealed this yesterday at a scholarship, training and career fair organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

More than 380 jobs were offered by 33 exhibitors at the one-day event at the BCA Academy in Braddell Road. More than 1,000 people turned up.

She noted that the value of construction contracts awarded last year totalled $34.6 billion, up from the previous high of $24.5 billion in 2007.

While construction demand is expected to moderate over the next two to three years given the global downturn, the level of demand will still be much higher than the average annual demand of $13 billion from 1998 to 2006, she said.

In a recent BCA survey of 1,500 mostly contracting firms, half the respondents indicated they were short of manpower.

BCA's Building Careers website, launched last month, has more than 600 job vacancies posted.

Ms Fu highlighted these two points as 'good news that the industry is still hiring'.

Tradesmen and foremen in higher value-add trades such as crane and construction-plant operation, electrical works and plumbing are in high demand.

As for professionals, managers, executives and technicians, one area of focus is the design, construction and management of green, or environmentally friendly, buildings.

To support the development of a 'green-collar workforce', the BCA aims to train at least 8,000 specialists over the next five years.

Twenty-six undergraduate scholarships, sponsored by industry players, are offered this year - double that of last year's.

Diploma programmes - subsidised under schemes such as the Skills Development Fund and Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience - and tie-up degree programmes with Carnegie Mellon University in the United States and Nottingham University in Britain will also be available for those seeking to upgrade themselves.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_327695.html