If you’re looking to pick up a trade and work in construction, then you’ll be in good company. As the population of the UK grows, and more people need to be housed, there’s always going to be demand for skilled tradespeople on a construction site.

Recent polling has revealed that around 83% of British construction firms are experiencing a lack of skilled workers. This gives those entering the industry an advantage when it comes to securing higher wages. There’s plenty of work to go around, in other words, and if you’re good at it you’ll find yourself enjoying plenty of business.

If you’re interested in this line of work, then there are a few skills and qualities that are certain to stand you in good stead. Let’s take a look at a few of the most important of them.

Fitness

Construction work involves physical labour. Depending on the kind of work you’re doing, a typical day might be intensely demanding. What’s more, if you’re doing the same repetitive motions over and over again, you might put yourself at risk of injury – which is what makes it worth putting in the effort to look after yourself, though things like weightlifting, stretches and yoga. Naturally, you’ll also need to know how to safely lift heavy loads, and to wield manual tools like sledgehammers.

Time management

If you can’t show up on time when you’re needed, then you won’t be much good as a construction worker. Moreover, if you’re not able to effectively manage your workload independently, and get through all of your tasks for the day, you won’t be anywhere near as productive as you should be. As such, the best workers in construction tend to be excellent at managing their own time.

Knowledge

You’ll need to know your trade, and have a good idea of what produces good results and what doesn’t. This comes through training and experience. Your results (along with your reliability) are what will get you called back again. As such, you will want to become familiar with premium-quality power tools and the difference they make. DeWalt power tools, for example, tend to make a big difference when you’re on the job.

An apprenticeship

You’ll need particular qualifications if you want to work within certain trades. Gas engineers and electricians need to be able to prove that they can work safely, and that they can stand by the results they achieve.

In other instances, the barriers to entry aren’t quite as high. Working as a general construction labourer means building up on-the-job experience and practical skill at a wide range of tasks. There’s no substitute for an apprenticeship, as such, as this method of entry into the industry will allow you to build your experience straight away.