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Education and training
Qualification levels
Overall, a fifth of the workforce have a qualification at level 4 and above, a further fifth have attained a level 3 qualification. About 8% hold qualifications at level 2 and 24% a trade apprenticeship. A quarter of the workforce has low or no qualifications.
Qualification levels vary, notably between the occupational groups.
- Professional occupational groups (civil engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and chartered surveyors) are highly qualified, with at least three quarters qualified to Level 4 and above.
- Associate professional groups (architectural technologists and town planning technicians, building inspectors, estimators, valuers and assessors, estate agents and auctioneers and environmental health officers) are also well qualified, if not at the same level as the professionals.
Qualification levels drop markedly amongst construction and building trades and pest controllers, with relatively few having attained high qualification levels. In these groups are a significant proportions of people with no, or very low qualifications.
Source: PHCFMS 2003
Qualification levels in the sector, 2002
Source: PHCFMS 2003, table 3. Data derived from the autumn 2002 Labour Force Survey.
Qualifications for architects
There are 35 schools of architecture offering qualifications recognised by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
Most architects enter this profession with a recognised degree in Architecture. There is also a non-degree route, which involves obtaining at least six years' experience in an architectural practice and then taking the relevant RIBA examinations.
Training takes a minimum of seven years. It consists of:
- RIBA part 1 - a three-year degree course followed by one year's work experience
- RIBA Part 2 - a two-year diploma/higher degree with one year's further work experience
- RIBA Part 3 - the Professional Practice Examination, which the student can take on completion of the above
Most schools of architecture offer postgraduate courses in architectural subjects and in related subjects such as civil engineering, town planning, surveying, building and building services, landscape design, interior design and conservation.
Source: Prospects website 2004
Training and qualifications for town planners
Both the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) run a range of short courses in subjects such as:
- planning law
- urban design
- planning supervision
Individual firms organise training for their own staff which can include talks from manufacturers about their products and talks from specialists in subjects such as:
- building regulations
- designing to provide access for disabled people
- design issues such as the psychology of colour
After completion of a first degree and an accredited postgraduate qualification, two years' relevant work experience is required for a membership in the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Membership of the RTPI confers the title Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI).
Source: Prospects website 2004
Future trends in the education of town planners are predicted to be:
- a diffusion of planning practices
- more international or global interaction of theory, practice and practitioners
- disciplinary boundaries will continue to become more porous
- greater fragmentation of careers
- an educational market that will be increasingly market-driven
Source: RTPI 2004 and Education Commission 2003
Qualifications in surveying
The normal entry to become a building surveyor is with an accredited degree in building surveying which meets the academic requirements of a professional body. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the main professional body. Direct entry into the profession without a directly relevant degree is unlikely. Entry with a Higher National Degree is available at technical surveyor level. RICS offers various NVQs. In addition, there are postgraduate courses available in building surveying.
Graduates with appropriate degrees and employment can become chartered surveyors by completing the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence by meeting certain standards in work experiences and assessment.
Source: Prospects website 2004
Last cached: 2008-05-06 01:00 PM