Dive Brief:

• Thanks to public-private partnerships and other creative ways to get needed infrastructure work done, the civil and heavy construction sector is looking for a range of people with the training and expertise the companies need to meet demand for their services.
• For job applicants, salaries are rising as companies seek project managers, operations managers, project engineers, superintendents and schedulers, according to recruiting company Kimmel Associates.
• The flip side for candidates is that companies are scrutinizing candidates carefully before hiring, looking closely at expertise and experience because getting jobs done is more important than quibbling over salaries.

Dive Insight:

Kimmel says its clients began to shift focus at about the end of last year, looking for project talent after spending several years during the recession seeking people who could improve administrative or generate more revenue from existing work.