Top 6 Construction Myths

While a lot of the common misconceptions about the construction industry have slowly been dispelled as the industry has grown and developed, there are still some myths concerning builders and the work environment that are harming the industry’s reputation.
Whether you’re considering a career in construction or are trying to defend your job to misinformed friends, we can help you with our run down of the top 6 construction myths debunked.

Construction is bad for the environment

Construction gets a bad environmental rep because many take the stance that as some of the materials emit carbon dioxide and aren’t recyclable the industry is harmful to the environment, but this doesn’t always have to be the case and is not an accurate representation of the construction industry as a whole. You might be surprised to hear that the construction industry actually inputs a very large contribution to sustainability, with green buildings and environmentally friendly designs constantly growing in popularity. Construction covers all aspects of building design, including ecology, energy use, pollution and waste management so construction workers can have a drastic effect on the green credentials of a home or workplace, helping to make the world more sustainable for future generations.

Cowboy builders are prominent in the industry

There probably are a few rogue, untrained workers producing shoddy work claiming to be builders and luring customers in with undercut prices, but these builders are the minority and are easy to avoid! By always using a business that is qualified or certified by governing bodies such as the National Federation of Builders you’ll be sure to receive a good quality, durable construction that will look good and function well.

The construction industry is a limited career

The wider public seem to think that the only job prospect in construction is to work with your hands building walls for various purposes. This simply isn’t the case, with many builders working their way up the corporate ladder into management roles, training, educating, engineering, science, or even becoming entrepreneurs of their own businesses. Gaining an inside knowledge of all aspects of construction allows you to work up to a management role, effectively leading a team and problem solving more difficult projects using your own hands on experience, or passing on your skills on to apprentices or those enrolled on college courses. There are even university courses teaching the skills you will have learned on-site, giving you a wealth of experience to your advantage and allowing you to follow whichever career path you desire.

The industry is too dangerous

While working on construction does mean exposing yourself to heavy tools and machinery, dust and debris, the industry itself is not actually dangerous. To ensure complete health and safety of all staff on sites across the country, there are a very strict set of health and safety guidelines that must be followed to the letter. These include stipulations for the proper protective clothing, training on how to operate machinery and relevant first aid skills, with all of this together working to ensure that no matter the situation you find yourself in on-site, you and your colleagues know the best course of action to carry out the work safely.

It’s a man’s industry

In fact, you might find that women hold a lot of the power in the construction industry! Over 320,000 women work in construction in the UK, filling roles within civil engineering, architecture and quantity surveying to name a few, meaning that these professional women may be the ones you’re left answering to! The view that construction is a man’s industry is outdated and can seriously hurt the field by putting women off the idea of a career in construction. Today’s construction industry sees a very fair balance between men and women, and construction is actually one of the few industries leading the way to bridging the pay gap between the genders.

Construction is only for those who didn’t do well at school

Higher education is as necessary for the construction industry as it is for any other industry. In fact, some of the roles in construction take the longest training – architects, for example, have to train for seven years. An architect or a civil engineer is responsible for ensuring that any designed building, bridge or monument is safe enough to withstand heavy weights and the test of time to allow people to use it safely – a great responsibility indeed. And these aren’t the only skills needed – maths, computer knowledge and chemistry are all skills required daily in the construction industry.

Construction is a multi-million pound industry, and big salaries are offered to those with the right skillset. As another added bonus, because these skills are in need throughout the industry, you can even get sponsored to go to university, allowing you to develop your career without accumulating any debt.

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