How Do You View the Construction Industry?

[Swagger]

The image of the modern construction industry is usually a negative one, mired in fraud; negligence; sexism and, most importantly, workplace accidents. I've worked in the built environment in some capacity or other for most of my working life, compounded by my time in the Royal Engineers, and I wouldn't want to work in any other industry. I'm now a private contractor. Most of the people I know regard the construction industry with distain, and a common adage in British society is that if you don't pay attention in school, you'll end-up working on a building site. Now, I'm aware that many find the concept of working on a building site intimidating and potentially very dangerous (which it is), but over the last 10 years or so the construction industry is striving to promote an image of accountability, responsibility and respect, which is embodied in the Considerate Constructors scheme. I'm a fully paid-up member and can often be found espousing their agenda. Registration is also pretty much becoming compulsory across the board.

The reason I've decided to pose this question to you all is because I've recieved an email from the Considerate Constructors asking if I'd like to take part in a careers seminar aimed at children who are about to leave compulsory education. The idea is to paint a positive image of the industry to an age group who are largely unfamiliar with how the built environment operates, and how they could potentially play a part in altering the skyline.

So, given the negative stereotypes that I've listed (which could easily be applied to other industries, especially the military) how would you react if one (or more) of your children came home from a careers seminar and declared that they want to work in the construction industry? And what are your opinions on it in general?

 

[strollingbones]

dead

 

[High_Gravity]

The construction industry in the US now is usually a bunch of guys who don't speak English and are not here via the legal means.

 

[Swagger]

The construction industry in the US now is usually a bunch of guys who don't speak English and are not here via the legal means.

Sorry, I should've been a bit clearer. I'm talking mainly about heavy enginering/construction and demolition, not replacing a few loose roofing tiles.

Is there no well-known regulatory body that actively polices the American construction industry like there is over here?

 

[High_Gravity]

The construction industry in the US now is usually a bunch of guys who don't speak English and are not here via the legal means.

Sorry, I should've been a bit clearer. I'm talking mainly about heavy enginering/construction and demolition, not replacing a few loose roofing tiles.

Is there no well-known regulatory body that actively polices the American construction industry like there is over here?

Hmm there might be but I am not too familiar with it, alot of the construction I see being doen on houses and on public property are by illegals, I rarely see any American construction workers anymore.

 

[Swagger]

The construction industry in the US now is usually a bunch of guys who don't speak English and are not here via the legal means.

Sorry, I should've been a bit clearer. I'm talking mainly about heavy enginering/construction and demolition, not replacing a few loose roofing tiles.

Is there no well-known regulatory body that actively polices the American construction industry like there is over here?

Hmm there might be but I am not too familiar with it, alot of the construction I see being doen on houses and on public property are by illegals, I rarely see any American construction workers anymore.

Do you or any of your friends work in the industry, or anything directly allied to it?

 

[High_Gravity]

Sorry, I should've been a bit clearer. I'm talking mainly about heavy enginering/construction and demolition, not replacing a few loose roofing tiles.

Is there no well-known regulatory body that actively polices the American construction industry like there is over here?

Hmm there might be but I am not too familiar with it, alot of the construction I see being doen on houses and on public property are by illegals, I rarely see any American construction workers anymore.

Do you or any of your friends work in the industry, or anything directly allied to it?

I know a guy who did construction on and off but he was kind of like on call, whenever there was room for a few extra bodies he got called up, but he did not have a permanent job with any companies, those are hard to come by with so many companies cheating using illegals.

 

[Swagger]

Hmm there might be but I am not too familiar with it, alot of the construction I see being doen on houses and on public property are by illegals, I rarely see any American construction workers anymore.

Do you or any of your friends work in the industry, or anything directly allied to it?

I know a guy who did construction on and off but he was kind of like on call, whenever there was room for a few extra bodies he got called up, but he did not have a permanent job with any companies, those are hard to come by with so many companies cheating using illegals.

I see.

One of the reasons I support the scheme I mentioned in my OP is because it has measures in place that go towards preventing illegal immigrants carrying-out work on British building sites. To gain access to a site in the UK you have to sit a test (CSCS test) that evaluates your competency. It's a fairly basic test, but to sit it you have to provide various official documents to check whether you're here illegally, and the test is only available in English. Obviously some of the more determined will slip through the net, but the scheme really does seem to be working. Coupled with the fact that the government is really starting to crack-down on businesses employing illegal immigrants. The fine is £10,000 for every illegal worker found working on the premises, and they really pursue the offending owners, too.

 

[del]

full of drunks and poofters

 

[Oddball]

The construction industry in the US now is usually a bunch of guys who don't speak English and are not here via the legal means.

Sorry, I should've been a bit clearer. I'm talking mainly about heavy enginering/construction and demolition, not replacing a few loose roofing tiles.

Is there no well-known regulatory body that actively polices the American construction industry like there is over here?

You don't know the half of it.

First of all there's OSHA, EPA, EEOC, and all the stupid regulatory hurdles like ADA to take into account.

In many (thankfully not all) states, contractors are required to be licensed and work at least through a DBA if not LLC...Then you have to carry insurance and (ridiculously for one-man operations) workman's comp.

Then you have local building codes, setbacks, sign and lighting codes, in some places there are architectural design regs and prohibitions (for starters).

And in places like California and New York, woe betide you if you're an out-of-state and/or non-union company and you draw a building inspector who has a broom up his ass about private freelance construction contractors.

So, I guess the answer to you question would be no....It's even worse.

 

[uscitizen]

The construction isudstry in the USA is fianally continuing on at a sustainable pace.

 

[yidnar]

havn't viewed it in 3 YRs

 

[Oddball]

The construction isudstry in the USA is fianally continuing on at a sustainable pace.

You're off your rocker.

 

[Paulie]

The image of the modern construction industry is usually a negative one, mired in fraud; negligence; sexism and, most importantly, workplace accidents. I've worked in the built environment in some capacity or other for most of my working life, compounded by my time in the Royal Engineers, and I wouldn't want to work in any other industry. I'm now a private contractor. Most of the people I know regard the construction industry with distain, and a common adage in British society is that if you don't pay attention in school, you'll end-up working on a building site. Now, I'm aware that many find the concept of working on a building site intimidating and potentially very dangerous (which it is), but over the last 10 years or so the construction industry is striving to promote an image of accountability, responsibility and respect, which is embodied in the Considerate Constructors scheme. I'm a fully paid-up member and can often be found espousing their agenda. Registration is also pretty much becoming compulsory across the board.

The reason I've decided to pose this question to you all is because I've recieved an email from the Considerate Constructors asking if I'd like to take part in a careers seminar aimed at children who are about to leave compulsory education. The idea is to paint a positive image of the industry to an age group who are largely unfamiliar with how the built environment operates, and how they could potentially play a part in altering the skyline.

So, given the negative stereotypes that I've listed (which could easily be applied to other industries, especially the military) how would you react if one (or more) of your children came home from a careers seminar and declared that they want to work in the construction industry? And what are your opinions on it in general?

Working in contract type trades is a pathetic existence unless you're working for yourself and succeeding.

I'm in that industry and working for myself and I make 2-3x the amount of money i made working for someone else, and have the freedom to work with WHO I want, WHEN I want, and HOW I want.

It's definitely not what I envisioned when I was a kid with the "when I grow up I wanna be a..." thing, but I'm pretty damn happy.

 

[Paulie]

The construction isudstry in the USA is fianally continuing on at a sustainable pace.

You're off your rocker.

It's doing alright where I'm at. It's not the first half of the 2000's by any means, but it's moving.

 

[MikeK]

full of drunks and poofters

What is a poofter?

 

[Moonglow]

Where I live construction is doing good.

 

[whitehall]

The image of the modern construction industry is usually a negative one, mired in fraud; negligence; sexism and, most importantly, workplace accidents. I've worked in the built environment in some capacity or other for most of my working life, compounded by my time in the Royal Engineers, and I wouldn't want to work in any other industry. I'm now a private contractor. Most of the people I know regard the construction industry with distain, and a common adage in British society is that if you don't pay attention in school, you'll end-up working on a building site. Now, I'm aware that many find the concept of working on a building site intimidating and potentially very dangerous (which it is), but over the last 10 years or so the construction industry is striving to promote an image of accountability, responsibility and respect, which is embodied in the Considerate Constructors scheme. I'm a fully paid-up member and can often be found espousing their agenda. Registration is also pretty much becoming compulsory across the board.

The reason I've decided to pose this question to you all is because I've recieved an email from the Considerate Constructors asking if I'd like to take part in a careers seminar aimed at children who are about to leave compulsory education. The idea is to paint a positive image of the industry to an age group who are largely unfamiliar with how the built environment operates, and how they could potentially play a part in altering the skyline.

So, given the negative stereotypes that I've listed (which could easily be applied to other industries, especially the military) how would you react if one (or more) of your children came home from a careers seminar and declared that they want to work in the construction industry? And what are your opinions on it in general?

What are you talking about blagger? Maybe in the country formerly known as England the cottage and castle building industry is in the toilet but here in the Colonies the construction industry is the best way to get something built.

 

[Oddball]

The construction isudstry in the USA is fianally continuing on at a sustainable pace.

You're off your rocker.

It's doing alright where I'm at. It's not the first half of the 2000's by any means, but it's moving.

The commercial remodeling biz is still in the tank...Franchisees of Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, etcetera are putting off their PIP projects until corporate threatens to pull their flags.

In most places new housing starts are anemic, if that good.

Building in leisure towns is next to nonexistent...For example, I have it on good authority that the town of Steamboat Springs, CO, has issued <20 building permits since 1/1/11.

Call it what you want, but "sustainable" is a joke.

 

[percysunshine]

'The reason I've decided to pose this question to you all is because I've recieved an email from the Considerate Constructors asking... '

"Considerate Constructors"?

Is this a childrens video toon or a commie organization?