What’s The Caribbean Construction Market Like?
With many opportunities for structural engineers, civil engineers, quantity surveyors and building services professionals, combined with an amazing lifestyle: the Caribbean is a great place to work.
The construction market in the Caribbean is extremely buoyant at the moment: there has never been a better time to move to one of the islands and become an Expat. For construction professionals this is a great opportunity to work on interesting projects and get an amazing lifestyle too.
In this post I explore the market, where the most investment is coming from and also give you some information on what it is like living in the Caribbean, read on if you think this sounds like an interesting opportunity!
Demand For Engineering and Construction Candidates
Energi People have placed many building services professionals, quantity surveyors and structural engineers on a number of large construction projects in the Caribbean in recent months. There is a supply and demand issue in terms of skilled construction specialists in the region and this means there are great opportunities for the right candidate.
Candidates that have the highest demand are generally for senior roles, who are highly skilled and experienced. Some of the roles that are sought after at the moment include:
However, there are roles available across all engineering and construction specialisms – contact me directly if you want to discuss your next move.
Where Is The Most Investment In The Caribbean?
As you would expect, the vast majority of construction projects happening in the Caribbean over the years have been within the hospitality sector. This is the result of a number of the islands including Dominica, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis putting programmes in place to incentivise development and investment.
These programmes, called ‘Citizenship By Investment’, were set up nearly 30 years ago and have improved the economy in the area by enticing high net worth individuals to invest with the incentive of gaining citizenship to the islands.
With more and more islands creating similar programs in recent years, there has been a real boom in the amount of construction projects that have started which has helped the local economy and also increased the need for skilled professionals to undertake the projects for the developers.
Alongside investment in hospitality including new hotels and resorts, there is also a lot of investment in infrastructure to support the tourism sector. Civil engineering specialists are therefore also in demand.
Living In The Caribbean As An Expat
Living on a Caribbean island sounds like a dream come true, and not many people get the opportunity to do so. The top things that potential expats need to consider are:
- Housing – the average monthly rent for a two bedroom apartment in the Caribbean is around $900 so housing is not massively expensive. There are lots of forums for expats where you can find great properties for either just yourself or your family.
- Cost of Living – because the islands are fairly remote, it not as easy as you would expect to pop to a shop and get your weekly groceries. Some of the products and foods you have come accustomed to in the UK are either not available or have a high price attached. With that in mind, shopping at local markets is cost efficient.
- Family and Schooling – it is important to ensure your children have a good school to go to. In most of the areas where expats tend to live, the standard of education is excellent and there are lots of languages spoken in the Caribbean across these areas.
- Lifestyle – it’s true, island time does exist. In the UK we have it ingrained in us that we need to be on time and have strict deadlines. These can be a bit more relaxed on the islands and may come as a surprise to new Expats: particularly when working alongside locals. Of course, the lifestyle – with sun, sea, sand, and great leisure facilities in the resorts – is one of the main reasons UK engineering and construction professionals move to the Caribbean.
Working in the construction market in the Caribbean is a fantastic opportunity and can offer an idyllic lifestyle for many. If you want to find out more about moving to the Caribbean and finding a role on the islands please get in touch. Call +44 (0) 1252 413080 or our Miami office +1 786 870 1088.
Alternatively you can email at [email protected]