How to get into construction after taking your GCSEs

With so many different options to begin a career in construction, it can be tricky to decide which route is best for you. Once you have taken your GCSEs in England and Wales or National 5s in Scotland, here are some options for your next step.

What to do after GCSEs/National 5s

Study for A-levels or Scottish Highers

Progressing on to studying A-levels in England and Wales or Highers in Scotland is one option. If you know what area of construction you want to go into, think about what subjects will be helpful to you in your chosen career before you make your choices. 

Vocational qualifications

An alternative to A-levels is to combine academic study with something hands-on. Vocational qualifications like a BTEC, HNC and HND are an excellent mix of practical experience and theory. They usually take 1-2 years to complete at a further education college, but can also be studied as part of an apprenticeship.

Start an apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are still one of the best ways to get your foot in the door and you will find many people in the construction industry who started this way. As an apprentice, you’ll earn while you learn, gaining hands-on experience, practical skills and an industry-specific qualification. You’ll be employed full-time (usually between 30-40 hours per week), which includes time spent with your training provider.

Find an entry-level job

Getting into work straight away may be the right option for you. Some jobs in construction, like labouring, do not require any formal qualifications. Having GCSEs in English and Maths is a bonus but not essential. Use websites like Talentview to search for vacancies, or ask friends or family if they know of any construction opportunities available at local companies.

Finding your path into construction

Before you begin to think about the next steps, you need to decide exactly what type of job you are interested in – and there are hundreds of different roles in construction to choose from.

Find a role that suits you

If you don’t know what you want to do next, don’t panic – you are in the same boat as lots of people your age.

The great thing about construction is that there are roles and careers to suit everyone’s skills and interests – from Bricklaying to Architecture!

The Personality Quiz can help define what is right for you. It will show you the different parts of the industry and jobs that suit you best. Once you get your quiz results, you can look at each role in more detail. 

Try career quiz tools

There’s a whole world of things you can do in the construction industry depending on what your qualifications are.

For example, if you achieved great results in science, you could think about civil engineering (building roads, bridges, skyscrapers and stadiums), or careers in sustainability. Maths might take you down the quantity surveying route. If you enjoyed business studies, then maybe a career in project management or planning could be for you.

To find out which role might be right for you, take the Go Construct career explorer - it will ask a series of questions and find the role most suited to your interests, skills and qualifications.

Once you know what you want to do, you can start planning your route to getting there.

Advice and tips

We asked three people in construction what advice they would give to people thinking about getting into the industry after their GCSEs, and which route they took.

Zaid Abioye - Project Manager, O’Halloran & O’Brien Building Contractors

Zaid is a civil engineer with a wealth of industry experience.

“My dad worked in a draughtsman’s office so I was fascinated as a child with all the big plans and blueprints. I studied English, maths, physics, biology, chemistry and technical drawing for my GCSEs.  I then took A-levels in physics, maths and chemistry. Maths and physics are probably the most important subjects if you want to be an engineer. And chemistry can be useful too. If you’re interested in general construction, any subject is relevant.

“Having the ability to communicate well is also really important. You’ll also need to be interested in practical stuff, like being good with your hands. If you want to be an engineer, going to a technical college after your GCSEs is the best approach. From there you can head to university to complete your studies.

“You could also think about doing an apprenticeship with a company and work your way up from there.

Rosanna Giarraputo - Community Engagement Coordinator, Bell Group

Rosanna says that ‘no two days in construction are the same’. She studied GCSEs in maths, English, biology, music, history, religious studies and languages (Spanish and French), then went on to do A-levels in English, Spanish and music.

“I didn’t think about a career in construction until later, but many of my GCSE subjects were relevant, particularly English. English helped develop my communication skills - something that’s key to my role as a community engagement coordinator.

“If you’ve just finished your GCSEs and are thinking about a career in construction, just go for it. It’s a growing industry and there’s money to be made. Construction companies are always looking for enthusiastic people. I did a lot of on-the-job training for my role. Being out with the site team and getting involved with the voluntary work experience placements we offer really helped me learn about construction.

Jennifer Kinsella – Co-op Facilities Manager, SPV Group

Jennifer has been with SPV Group since 2004 and worked in a number of roles, including Contracts Manager and Co-op Facilities Manager.

“I left school when I was 16 and worked as a dental nurse and I quickly realised it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My father, uncle and cousins all worked in construction. I would always hear them talking about the places they’d been working, in lots of different jobs all over the country.

“When I was 17, a receptionist job was going at Howard Evans Roofing (part of SPV Group) so I applied. I had five GCSEs, but there were no official qualifications I needed to get started.

“I went on to do mental health nursing and this helps me safeguard the mental health of the engineers I work closely with. I’m always faced with new challenges and I learnt a lot by being thrown in the deep end.

“A lot of people who finish school don’t want to go back to an academic environment. My advice is to show confidence. Don’t worry too much about your results. If you want to qualify as a quantity surveyor, you can do it later.

“Be practical and don’t worry about getting things wrong. It’s a very hands-on industry.