Take a moment to think about all the bridges you’ve driven across, the railways you commute on, or the roads you drive home on. When you think about any piece of infrastructure, the chances are that civil construction has played a huge role in its design and construction. 

Civil construction literally shapes the world we live in. The best part about that is that you can too, if you decide to study and work in the always evolving sector of civil construction. 

To help you find out if it’s really for you, let’s dig a bit deeper into what the civil construction industry is like, why you should consider studying it, what careers are available, and how to get started.

What is civil construction? 

Civil construction is a wing of civil engineering. It’s all about the design, construction and maintenance of physical and naturally built environments. For example, these include:

• Roads
• Buildings
• Bridges
• Dams
• Airports
• Canals
• Tunnels
• Railways

It’s one of the oldest – and most important – sectors of the building and construction industry.

Why study civil construction? 

At its roots, civil construction is about making and maintaining the infrastructure needed for day-to-day living. This means it’s a discipline that positively impacts many aspects of society, improving and progressing the quality of our lives.

Still interested? Then you’ll find civil construction to be one of the most rewarding (and challenging) pathways in the building and construction industry. Plus, it’s crucial to the Australian economy, which means there are plenty of jobs going for people with the right skills and qualifications. 

Civil construction is also one of the most varied pathways in the construction industry. You could find yourself evaluating the suitability of a site, creating cost estimates, developing contracts, or liaising with government officials and high-flying clients. Or, you might be the one responsible for operating the excavator, digging up the ground, and ensuring its ready to build on.

What kind of jobs are available? 

As with most sectors within building and construction, there are a number of career paths in the civil construction industry. Depending on your level of education and experience, you could find work in many environments, in roles such as:

• Loader
• Steel fixer
• Excavator
• Road marker
• Concreter
• Civil labourer
• Welder
• Roller
• Dump truck operator

At the higher end of the spectrum, you could even pursue roles such as:

• Civil Engineer
• Supervisor
• Surveyor
• Estimator
• Construction manager
• Project manager

As you can now see, there really are so many pathways in the civil construction sector. If you need help narrowing it down, just get in touch with CWBTS today and we’ll help you discuss your options.

Kickstarting your career

If you’re working in the building and construction industry already, it’s likely you started your journey with a trade. But to break into a career in civil construction, your next step is to enrol in a course such as our RII30815 Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations. 

In this particular course, you’ll develop a range of hands on skills, in areas such as plant operations and equipment, hand and power tools, and basic levelling and excavation. You’ll learn how to operate an excavator, skid steer, front-end loader, backhoe and dozer – key for many careers in building and construction.

When it comes to furthering your education, you might want to look into other courses such as the CPC40110 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building). Once you’ve successfully completed this qualification, you’ll have armed yourself the skills and knowledge needed to become a licensed builder, and you’ll be able to work towards employment in more supervisory roles in civil construction.

If you want to pursue a career as a project manager, construction manager, site supervisor, or estimator you can enrol in our CPC50210 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building). The final step to become a civil engineer and work in senior management roles, you’ll have to enrol in a university degree.

One of the best parts of CWBTS is that all of these building and construction courses are available online.

However you choose to study civil construction, there are many roles available. Plus, you’ll find that at the higher end of the spectrum – it’s one of the most lucrative career pathways in Australia.

Your next step

If you’re interested in civil construction, or any other careers in building and construction, get in touch with us today. We offer many building and construction courses both in person and online, and take pride in our commitment to our students.

At CWBTS, we support everyone working in the building and construction industry. With us, you’ll learn from some of the best in the business, be nurtured every step of the way, and come out the other end with a solid qualification and the skills needed to kickstart your career.

Get in touch with the team on 1300 4 CWBTS or get in touch with us here to take the next steps in your career.