The three specializations and career in the trade
Installation contractor, building contractor, and road layer – and the way forward
The concrete layer and brick layer training gives you a trade in high demand: as long as roads, houses and cities are being built, you are needed. The training is divided into three specialities that build on the same basic knowledge, but lead in different directions.
§Installation contractor
As a structures engineer you build the infrastructure in the ground and under the city: sewers, rainwater and wastewater pipes, road and plaza construction, trenches and drainage. You work a lot with pipes, fall, surveying and soil, and you are often involved in the very largest construction projects. A well-functioning society literally rests on what the structures engineer lays in the ground.
§Building structure designer
As a building structure worker you create the load-bearing raw building in concrete: foundations, ground floors, concrete floors, walls and ceilings. You work with formwork, reinforcement and casting and create the structure that carpenters, bricklayers and other trades build on. The building structure worker is often first on site because everything else rests on the foundation you cast.
§Paver
As a paver you create pavements and outdoor environments: squares, piazzas, pavements, driveways and paths in stone and tiles. It is a trade where craft and aesthetics meet – patterns, falls, curbs and beautiful transitions. A well-paved square is both durable and beautiful and the paver's work is some of the most visible the trade does.
| Specialty | Primarily builds |
|---|---|
| Installation contractor | Sewers, pipes, roads and drainage in the ground. |
| Building structure designer | Foundations, floors, walls and load-bearing concrete. |
| Paver | Coatings, squares and outdoor environments in stone and tiles. |
§Where can you work?
You can work for contractors and construction companies, large and small, and street layers often in landscaping and paving companies. Work is found across the country, and major infrastructure projects — roads, bridges, site preparation, climate protection — provide many tasks for many years to come.
§The way forward
The craft is not a ceiling. With experience you can become a gang leader or foreman managing a team and a site. You can become self-employed and start your own business. And with the right background you can build toward technical higher education, for example as a building designer, where you plan and lead construction instead of executing it yourself.
- 01Crew leader or foreman responsible for team and site.
- 02Self-employed entrepreneur with own business.
- 03Further toward building constructor or other technical education.
- 04Specialization in e.g., sewage systems, climate proofing, or surfacing.
§A trade to be proud of
Concrete layer and brick layer is a trade for you who want to work with your hands, be outdoors and build something that lasts. You lay the foundation for everything others build on top, and you can drive past your projects the rest of your life and say: I built that. If you choose the trade, you choose a craft that literally carries society.
“We build what no one sees – but everything else rests on it.”