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The building and construction industry in India is vast with an annual turnover running into hundreds of billion rupees. The new townships coming up around us, the roads we travel on, the highways, bridges and flyovers, new airports, metro rail services, the spanking new shopping malls, the chrome and glass office blocks, are just some of the projects handled by this enormous industry. Not surprising then that the building and construction industry commands the highest employment potential. From high caliber civil engineers, architects and urban planners and craftsmen like carpenters and bricklayers to unskilled labour, this industry engages about 12 million people. The present boom is expected to see that figure zoom still higher over the next few years. The top construction companies are expected to absorb over 20,000 fresh recruits with a variety of skills such as architecture, building engineering, urban planning, construction management and so on. Room for many All professional skills employed in the industry require formal training in the particular field of specialisation. These include: Architects, responsible for the planning, designing and supervision of construction work. They work on design sketches of proposed buildings, layouts of structures, and coordinate with other professionals involved in the execution of the construction work. Architects need to have a degree/diploma in architecture and a license to practice from the Council of Architects. Civil engineers or structural engineers take over after the architect completes the design, converting the plans into reality. This involves surveying the site, investigating the technical and economic aspects, and organising and supervising the construction work. As is being realised today, the structural aspects are most important, as this is what ensures that a building is able to withstand earthquake shocks. Civil engineers also handle the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels and other structural facilities, repair and maintenance of buildings and sanitation systems. They are also responsible for the purchase of materials and equipment used. For civil engineers, a Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering is needed. The Town and Country Planner’s primary task is to ensure the best utilisation of land, after taking into consideration factors such as topography, location of residential areas, industries, schools, parks and other requirements for the development of towns, cities and colonies. This requires field surveys and studies to collect necessary information after which design layouts in the forms of models or sketches are presented. Town/Urban Planning is a postgraduate specialisation, after a Bachelor’s degree in architecture or a related subject. A surveyor has to take geometric measurements of land for assessing the feasibility of construction, given the topography of the area. Only when the survey is complete can any construction work commence. The Gujarat earthquake experience has brought out the importance of topographical surveys, including soil analysis and the like. The survey of buildings, highways, railways, canals, roads, and also large-scale survey of towns and cities related to construction is undertaken by a surveyor. A surveyor needs to have a Certificate in Surveying. A draughtsman usually works with an architect and prepares the preliminary drawings for buildings, roads, bridges, dams, etc. After approval of a project, the draughtsman prepares the final site plan with detailed information like sections of structures/roads, floor plans and other specifications, keeping in mind the local laws of the land. To practice as a draughtsman, a diploma in draughtsmanship is required. Contractors are responsible for coordinating the various elements that go into the construction of a building or structure. They also assume responsibility for its completion within the time and cost specified in the contract. They also need to have a good knowledge of project management, working out the sequence of operations at each stage, and organising workers, equipment, materials and finance according to the requirements. Unlike the old days, today contractors are qualified professionals. They are mostly engineers or project managers who develop their skills on-the-job. Most contractors specialise in particular kinds of structures. Special trade contractors handle specific skills like electrical work, plumbing, air-conditioning, painting, woodwork etc, and employ skilled craftsmen for the purpose. Highway contractors construct roads, highways, bridges etc., while heavy construction contractors handle water and power development projects, dams, harbours, industrial sites, etc. The construction industry also requires a number of different skilled Craftsmen to handle a variety of structural, mechanical, electrical and finishing work. These include carpenters, masons, welders, marble and tile setters, painters, and pipe fitters, electricians, air-conditioning mechanics, and so on. All skilled trades require requisite training from Industrial Training Institutes (ITI’s) or through the apprenticeship scheme for each specialised skill. Unskilled labour forms the largest block of workforce on a construction site. They perform tasks such as loading and unloading of material, mixing of mortar, etc. There are now specialist courses for each of the different disciplines, particularly for architects, engineers, technical craftsmen and others. Some recent courses in construction management are also enabling the industry to develop professional skills, and expertise in this hitherto unorganized sector. Foundation course The minimum eligibility for a postgraduate diploma course in construction management is a graduate degree in any branch of engineering/architecture or a postgraduate degree in arts, commerce or science with 55 per cent marks and 2 years’ work experience in the construction industry. The postgraduate diploma in Project and Construction Management is also offered as a correspondence course by IGNOU to graduate Engineers/Architects/Chartered Accountants/Company Secretaries or postgraduate degree holders in Business Management/Commerce/Natural Science or Engineering Diploma holders with minimum 2years work experience. Several institutes have started regular courses in construction management. The National Institute of Construction Management and Research, at Gurgaon, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune offers graduate and post-graduate diploma and certificate programmes in construction and project management, as well as in different aspects of the construction business. The Centre for Environment Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, also offers a PG programme in construction management, while IIT, Delhi and Chennai, and the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi offer masters in building technology and construction management. Concrete projects With the economy growing and an increasing investment in infrastructure projects, there are plenty of employment opportunities in this industry. The government Public Works Departments, Archaeological Departments, ministries, Department of Railways, Post and Telegraphs, Town and Country Planning Departments and public sector undertakings offer many jobs to all professionals in this field. The private sector construction companies too offer wide employment opportunities particularly for those trained in architecture and construction/project management. Large construction houses, multi-nationals, builders and promoter firms, real estate developers and construction consultancy firms also now mainly employ professional construction managers. The banking and housing finance sector also takes in qualified construction managers to handle construction finance and project appraisal activities. Building and construction professionals can also set up their own consultancy firms or even freelance. So, there are jobs in plenty in this sector, particularly as Delhi spruces itself up for the Commonwealth Games, and Mumbai prepares to take on the challenge of Shanghai . And as tender bids come pouring in for new airports, metro rail networks, and for hundreds of residential and commercial complexes for the enlarging middle class, those with the right qualifications can look forward to a solid bricks-and mortar future. Prominent Institutions offering courses in Building and Construction and related areas include:
The writer is a noted career expert
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THE earthquake last
year was a good wake-up call for all builders. If the many high-rise
buildings in Gurgaon had been built according to established rules
and guidelines, using the right building material, perhaps there
would not have been so much panic. It also reinforces the imperative
need for professionalism and accountability in the building and
construction industry, growing at a frenzied pace today.
