How Training for Built Environment Jobs Is Now Being Conducted Online

We are in an age when changing jobs or switching professions mid-career or even several times in working life is quite common. Finding the right sector or niche at the right time and then securing the necessary training to make these career changes stick is crucial.

The rise of online training and learning additionally means that these changes can currently be made in an increasingly planned and detailed fashion. Read on to find out more.

However, the interesting point is that online training is now possible for a broader range of professionals than ever before, including those in the built environment. From builders, plumbers, electrical engineers, project managers, engineers, and much more, you too can now learn and improve your skills online. This wasn’t always the case for jobs and roles in the built environment, and for any career advancement, time off from the job would have been required as a start. Secondly, for some of the more practical assignments, there would have been no way to gain the requisite qualification without the valuable lessons and tests, often at a high cost to the learner. These essential tests and training are still being done, just in a whole new way.

The Built Environment

This is the so-called built environment. Intricately involved in all aspects of our lives, including the buildings we live in, the built environment encapsulates the ways that we get water, electricity, and gas. It encompasses the roads, bridges, transport, and technological systems that recently linked us together.

The professions in this realm are generally incredibly technical and practical in their instruction, learning, and practice. Indeed, this is still the case and practical know-how is essential to build a structurally correct home or efficiently designing water storage and distribution for many urban and suburban dwellers. However, the teaching of the related professions in the built environment, as was alluded to previously, is now being done online.

Start with some foundational knowledge.

As with most career changes, you will need some foundational knowledge under your belt. It all depends on where you are in your own career and what you are interested in doing as a job or career going forward. The advice herein is primarily for those already in a profession and are looking to achieve a better work-life balance or for more financial freedom. Suppose you already work in the built environment in any capacity, and you have an undergraduate qualification and or experience. In that case, it is possible to further your career in several ways based on the current demand and the availability of the following online courses.

Engineering Online

The first point to be fully aware of is that the engineering sector has many varied facets, and the available jobs are thus just as varied. There have long been courses related to engineering that are taught online. Engineering management, project management, and leadership are related to and associated with engineering that can be conducted online. The quality and professionalism of these courses have come a long way. A great example of this is the highest-rated course offered by the University of Ottawa. The essential engineering degree can be transformed into a management qualification that will open more doors and increase financial opportunities.

Design

This was one of the first practical courses to be thoroughly taught online. Using CAD/Auto CAD and sharing screens and work meant a great way to learn and build experience.

There are, however, still those who felt that design was taught best in a brick-and-mortar institution where visual interaction and physical space were critical for the learning process. The deciding factor in learning from watching and doing was the rise in short video clips and YouTube videos used to teach design tricks and tips. Learning the creativity required was not necessarily a taught aspect, and it is the use of technology that is now seen as the most critical aspect. This can definitely be done online, using video clips and increasing interactions as far as possible.

Civil

The actual work must be done onsite, but the planning and design phases can all be taught and performed online. The creation of civil engineering models and processes that can be tested online and are used to perfect design and functionality are definitely better performed online and in theory before any material costs and actual building spends.

In the future, even more will be taught online:

VR and augmented reality will allow even more practical courses to be taught online and in the cloud. The opportunity to participate anywhere globally means that skills can be improved from wherever you are based. The skills for management, leadership, and data analytics, to name a few, are essential. Still, the simulations that VR will allow are the closest learning tool to actually building the real thing and will be necessary for honing and perfecting practical skills, all in a virtual setting. If virtual reality is good enough to train astronauts for the one successful flight that they need, then indeed it is suitable and appropriate that it be used to train engineers and more.

Online learning has come a long way, and so too has the field of engineering, and there is now the broadest range of courses and opportunities to learn online. There are few career paths as rewarding as this one. The choice can cause decision paralysis, but by keeping updated and in the know, you will make the best decisions to take your career in the built environment to the next level.