1. The industry

The building services and engineering sector undertakes around £20 billion of work every year. It covers many industries, including: electrotechnical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing to name a few.

Currently there are over 600,000 employees working in building services jobs around the UK. With around 50,000 businesses between them, plumbing and electrotechnical companies account for a significant amount of all building services engineering jobs.

At any one time, there are 18,000 apprentices within the sector looking to gain the skills and experience needed to work to the high standards required of building services jobs.

2. What do building services jobs involve?

Building services engineering jobs have an important role to play in the responsible use of our natural resources, as well as public safety. Some roles require that you are available for out of hours call out at evenings and weekends, but usually the hours of work are Monday to Friday.

Although building services jobs tend to focus on one energy system in a building, for example, heating systems or electrical distribution, the roles are becoming increasingly multidisciplinary. The other choices available include lighting, ventilation, air-conditioning, water supply, sanitation, public health, fire protection, safety systems, lifts, escalators, fa?ade engineering and even acoustics.

Building services engineering jobs involve contact with a wide range of people at all levels. Travel during the working day is usually frequent and you can expect to find work in any building, from airports to private homes.

3. Current climate

So far, building services engineering jobs have escaped the economic downturn. This is because less spending has forced architects and building designers to push the boundaries of cost-effective design, whilst meeting environmental needs. To achieve their targets, it's essential for them to have highly skilled engineers to hand, making building services jobs vital.

The public sector has a lot to offer building services jobs too. With a significant amount of projects in the pipeline, such as the 2012 Olympics and the Thames Gateway regeneration, billions of pounds are being put into construction. The 2012 Olympic Games has created 30,000 construction jobs alone - a number of which are building services engineering jobs.

The increased focus on renewable energy, sustainability and energy management, has also created new building services engineering jobs. This is because skilled workers are needed to install and maintain greener technologies.

4. What will employers look for?

An engineering qualification is usually required to apply for building services engineering jobs. Employers will often look for candidates with a degree in engineering.

Building services jobs can be entered through a range of degrees, including building environment engineering; electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and other related degrees.

With technology and the needs of the construction industry rapidly changing, employers will also be looking for adaptable people that can rise to a challenge. So, if you have problem solving skills and a creative or technical mind, building services jobs could be ideal for you.