[ News
| Homes
| Life
| Entertainment
| History
| Science
| Community
| Shop ]
| Sport
| Culture
| Cars
| Money
| Broadband
| Learning
| Health
| Dating
| Games ]
[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
[ Bricking It Graphical Version | Home | News | Completion Bonus | Talking Points | The Tasks | The Experts | News |Training & Courses | Employers | The Build | Royal Arsenal | On TV | About Bricking It | Links | Credits |
[ Project Manager | Designer | Construction Manager | Plumber 1 | Sparky | Tiler | Painter / Decorator | Plasterer | Chippy | Plumber 2 ]
Andy Carson, 34, Construction Manager
Andy worked his way up the industry from the age of 16. He has the power to make or break completion of this flat. Used to managing multi-million pound projects, Andy expects high standards. The buck stops here.
Career History
Andy Carson has been in the building trade for 20 years, starting as a labourer and then doing a City and Guilds apprenticeship in Carpentry. He was a Site Manager at 21 ranging from prisons, banks and Royal Households including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace (Royal Rose Gardens) and Kensington Palace (refurbishment).
He joined Berkeley Homes in 1997 as a Site Manager at Jacob's Island near Tower Bridge and then Globe Wharf in Rotherhithe before moving to the Royal Arsenal site at Woolwich.
Andy is currently the Construction Manager with responsibility for overseeing all construction work at Royal Arsenal.
Bricking It Interview
Why did you want to work in the building trade?
I followed my father into the industry and soon realised that I had an aptitude for it.
What do you do?
I liaise with all the sub-contractors to ensure that they are meeting targets and keeping up Berkeley Homes' standards.
It is ultimately my responsibility to ensure that safety is paramount on the site. If I see anyone breaching Health and Safety rules, they will be warned or removed from the site, depending on the severity of the error.
I also sit in meetings to discuss various commercial and technical issues such as budgets and design.
I also have to control and oversee my managers who do the day-to-day liaising with subcontractors and suppliers.
What three things do you need to do your job well
Be hardworking, organised and disciplined.
What are your hours / wages like?
I usually start work at 6.30am and finish around 6pm.
People associate builders with low wages but when you work your way up, the salary is very comfortable.
What qualifications do you have?
I have a City and Guilds apprenticeship in carpentry.
I was a site manager at 21, and I joined Berkeley Homes in 1997 as a site manager at Jacob's Island near Tower Bridge and then Globe Wharf in Rotherhithe before moving to the Royal Arsenal site at Woolwich.
What's your advice to would-be Site Managers?
You have to be prepared to work extremely hard, listen and learn quickly,
putting safety and high standards at the top of your list of priorities.
And finally...
The building industry is a vibrant and varied career to pursue. The
rules and regulations and the working conditions have changed dramatically
since I started, and more women are getting involved.
We still need to encourage more people to work in the building trade, though. It has been unfashionable for a few years, but the rewards are huge, with a huge sense of achievement in seeing something transform from a barren piece of land or a dilapidated building into someone's home.
Related Links
Find out what it takes to be a Construction Manager >Inspired? Find out about the training you need to succeed here >
Fancy learning how to Brick It? Find the right course for you here >
Check out our job profiles here >
Email your career and training questions to our advisors >
Click here to find out everything to do with building and property >