The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has said that it increasingly important that construction job seekers have a recognised qualification

Recent government figures revealed that there are not enough construction jobs available to cope with demand so it is essential that applicants are qualified in order to improve their chance of employment.

With increased competition for construction jobs it is vital that people enrol on plumbing courses, commercial gas courses, electrical courses and green energy courses to give themselves an edge over fellow job seekers.

Bridget Boreham, from the CIOB said: "Professional Qualifications increasingly become a 'must have' to stand out from the crowd."

Ms Boreham went on to say that the CIOB has also seen a significant increase in female applications for jobs in the construction industry and this is likely to continue as the sector recovers from the recession.

Ms Boreham claims it is important that the construction industry keeps hold of its unemployed workers and the employees coming into the sector during the recession as this will assist the economic recovery.

She said: "If we don't we will face the same skills shortages we had from the last recession and that will hinder the industry's ability to respond to the upturn of the economy.".

For every pound spent on construction the British economy benefits by a total of £2.84 and 92 per cent of that amount is spent in the United Kingdom, according to the CIOB.

People looking to become an electrician will need to undertake the City & Guilds (2330) Technical Certificate in Electrotechnical Technology levels 2 and 3.

Other electrical courses which people will need to complete as they advance their skills are 17th edition courses and the City & Guilds 2391 Inspection and Testing.

Technical certificates cover the theory and practical skills needed to move on into the electrical industry and towards NVQ qualification.

People will need to gain the City & Guilds 6129 Technical Certificate Level 2 and Level 3 and the City & Guilds Plumbing Level 2 and Level 3 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering Services - Plumbing (Domestic), in order to be considered a fully qualified plumber.

Research reported by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) revealed that individuals with professional qualifications stand to gain £152,000 in additional earnings, over the course of their career.

In addition, people with qualifications also have a nice per cent increase in the probability of being employed because of the transferable skills on offer, according to the CMI analysis.