Building and construction

An Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) was formed in 2008 to review policies and chart new strategies for Singapore’s future growth and development, which will be beneficial to the building and construction industry. Several professional certification courses were introduced in 2007. These courses include those leading to qualifications as quality mark managers and structural engineers among many others, to help equip employees with relevant skills.

Job opportunities
Fresh graduates can look forward to jobs with some of the following major players in the industry:

• The BCA
• Lian Beng Construction Pte Ltd
• Koh Brothers Building & Civil Engineering Contractor Pte Ltd
• Sato Kogyo Co. Ltd
• Kajima Corporation Overseas Asia Pte Ltd
• Woh Hup Holdings Pte Ltd.

Jobs for fresh graduates include:

• Architect: plans and designs buildings and oversee the construction process
• Draftsperson: completes technical drawings for building construction
• Civil or structural engineer: inspects existing building structures for safety and reviews reports submitted by professional engineers
• Quantity surveyor: deals with the costs involved in building or development projects.

Salary depends on your previous experience and class of degree. Salaries vary with the company you are in and your job scope.

Most companies require at least three years’ relevant working experience in the building and construction industry, with a good understanding of industry practices. For civil and structural engineers, you need to be a practising professional engineer registered with the Professional Engineers Board, with at least seven years of relevant experience.

A degree in the relevant field such as architecture or engineering, and good written and oral communication skills are required.

Useful links

• Building and Construction Authority
• Singapore Institute of Building
• Singapore Institute of Planners
• The Institute of Engineers, Singapore