Things About How to Become a Construction Worker You Should Know
A career in construction involves working on a construction site, constructing, repairing, and maintaining structures. Because of an ageing workforce and immigration constraints, construction workers are in high demand, making now a better time than ever to pursue this vocation.
So, how to become a construction worker? In general, you should learn about what qualifications you’ll need to meet. This involves the ability to meet the everyday physical demands of manual labour. In this post, we’ll go over the qualifications, abilities, and skills that you’ll need to work in construction, as well as how to satisfy these requirements.
1. What is a construction worker?
A construction worker is a part of a construction crew that performs a variety of fundamental duties on construction sites that require physical labour. Clearing and preparing the site, as well as erecting scaffolding, barricades, bracing, and other temporary structures, and running concrete mixers, jackhammers, saws, drills, and other machinery, are all possible tasks.

2. What does a construction worker do?
Construction workers do a wide range of tasks on construction sites, from the simple to the exceedingly tough and dangerous. Despite the fact that many of the tasks they perform require some training and expertise, the majority of professions require little skill and can be taught quickly.
A typical construction worker does the following:
- Removes debris and any hazards from building sites to clean and prepare them
- Unloads or loads building materials for construction
- Initials or dismantles bracing, barricades, forms, scaffolding, and temporary structures
- Digs trenches, backfills holes, or compacts ground to prepare for construction
- Operates or tends equipment and machines, such as concrete mixers
- Assists other craft workers with their jobs
3. How do you become a construction worker?
3.1. Skills a construction worker needs
To be a good construction worker, you’ll need a diverse set of skills to work in construction. It is critical that you understand what a construction job entails and whether you are capable of obtaining the necessary abilities. The workers may be required to work long hours (usually 42 to 44 per week), nighttime and weekend shifts, thus, the job is both gratifying and demanding.

These are some skills that you need to become a construction worker:
- A high level of fitness is essential to perform physical work on a daily basis.
- Building and construction industry knowledge.
- The capacity to be diligent and pay attention to detail.
- The ability to work with your hands effectively.
- Communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.
- The ability to operate, maintain, and repair machinery and tools.
- Accepting criticism and working well under duress in order to meet deadlines.
- An appreciation for the significance of health and safety.
- Take pleasure in practical and outdoor work.
Depending on your location of employment and specific duties, you may be expected to have additional abilities that are particular to everyday obligations. If you have these talents and attributes, you might be a good fit for a construction-related profession.
>> Read more: Important Construction Skills For Workers
3.2. Education and training for a construction worker
If you want to work as a construction worker, one of the first things you should think about is how much education you’ll need. Construction workers have a bachelor’s degree in 19.3 percent of cases. In terms of higher education, we discovered that 1.4 percent of construction workers had earned a master’s degree. Although some construction workers have a college diploma, anyone with a high school diploma or GED can work as one.
If you don’t think a college course is right for you, an apprenticeship can be a better option. Apprenticeships are open to everyone in England over the age of 16 (with no higher age limit). A groundworker intermediate apprenticeship will help you get a career as a construction worker. This means you’ll learn how to prepare the ground before beginning building. You must normally meet specific standards and have some GCSEs, most commonly English and Maths, to be eligible for an apprenticeship. You should examine the prerequisites for the exact type of apprenticeship that you are interested in, just like you would for a college course.
3.3. Necessary qualifications to become a construction worker
Many firms demand construction employees on their site to have a valid CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme card), even though it is not a legal necessity. The card verifies that you have completed the necessary training and have the necessary qualifications to do your work on the building site. It is credited with helping to improve health and safety on building sites in the United Kingdom.

CSCS issues a variety of cards based on various construction jobs and credentials. If you’re doing an apprenticeship, for example, you’ll need a special card. The CSCS website lists the prerequisites for the apprentice card.
To prepare for the CSCS exam, you can visit our website and practice with Free CSCS Test Online.
Besides the CSCS Card, the OSHA Safety Certificate is one of the most common types of certification among construction workers. It is granted by the Delaware Technical Community College. You do not need to pass the exam to become a Certified Construction Worker with an OSHA Safety Certificate. A minimum of two years of work experience is required for this credential. Certification does not demand renewal; once earned, it is permanent.
4. How long does it take to become a construction worker?
Construction work takes one year or less to learn. That is the amount of time it takes to master certain construction worker skills only, and it does not include time spent in school.
If you choose to complete apprenticeships to further your education and develop more specialised skills, it often takes you two to four years to combine classroom instruction with on-the-job experience.
You might also spend time attending courses if you want to get certificates like OSHA or CSCS. For example, entry-level construction workers can take a 10-hour course, while those with more experience can take a 30-hour course to get OSHA certification.
Hope that the information above will help you understanding how to become a construction worker. If you believe you possess some of the talents required for becoming a construction worker and the job’s duties appeal to you, this may be an appropriate career path for you to pursue. Before you begin any specific training, you should have a clear grasp of the work position. Then you can investigate the many routes into the construction sector and conduct your own research to see what is available to meet your specific requirements.