Tackling the Construction Skills Gap in the Classroom; Leading UK Designer Wayne Hemingway Launches GBP86,000 -1- Design Competition for Schools as Part of National Construction Week.

Business Editors/Real Estate Writers

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 10, 2003

CITB-ConstructionSkills -2- is taking a novel approach to the skills gap in the construction industry by targeting 11 - 14 year old pupils with a new building and design competition called Creative Spaces. The competition, launched by Wayne Hemingway as part of National Construction Week (8th - 15th October), asks pupils to re-design part of their school and has a GBP50,000 top prize allowing the winning school to actually build their competition submission. 12 -3- regional winners will also receive GBP3,000.

The idea behind the competition is to tackle the skills gap in the construction industry by challenging any negative perceptions of construction in the classroom. Top designer and Creative Spaces judge Wayne Hemingway is delighted to be involved:

' I believe we are becoming a nation obsessed by celebrity and so-called glamorous professions,' said Wayne, 'but we are in danger of losing skills that are vital to the nation. Creative Spaces offers pupils a great opportunity to get involved in construction and find out how creative working in the construction industry is.'

At present 380,000 new recruits are needed in the construction industry by December 2006, that's 76,000 each year just to meet current growth targets.-4- CITB-ConstructionSkills hopes the competition will attract the next generation of highflying architects, construction managers, carpenters and bricklayers. Peter Lobban, chief executive of CITB-Construction-Skills, said:

'Since achieving Sector Skills Council status CITB-Construction Skills has been tasked with taking a UK wide view of the industry to reduce skills gaps and shortages. We are taking a more integrated approach to recruitment and training that includes both the professional and craft sides of the industry and will influence the whole construction process - design, build, production and maintenance. Creative Spaces is a perfect fit with this new approach because it will interest pupils in the wide variety of career options available in construction right from trade occupations through to graduate careers, and it takes in the whole scope of the construction industry from design to build'

Creative Spaces has been designed to enable schools to enter as part of the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology curriculum. The curriculum support materials that accompany the competition include modules on research, analysis and computer aided design to bring construction to life in the classroom. To enter all you have to do is call 01536 399 009 or visit www.ncw.org.uk/creativespaces and download a curriculum pack. To date over 250 schools have already registered for the competition and the closing date is 2nd April 2004.

Construction Minister Nigel Griffiths is supporting Creative Spaces:

'The continued success of the construction industry depends on its ability to attract and retain talented people of all ages and particularly young people.

'Construction has to compete hard to attract young people and so Creative Spaces - together with other events during National Construction Week - is a great example of helping youngsters consider a career in a world-class industry.'

Notes to editors:

-- The Creative Spaces Key Stage 3 Design & Technology curriculum

resources were written by a Design and Technology teacher and

are supported by the DfES, the resources are available on-line

via www.ncw.org.uk/creativespaces or in a CD-Rom format.

-- More detailed fact sheets are available on the entry process

and the teacher's resources that support Creative Spaces

Photography

High resolution photography of Wayne Hemingway conducting a Creative Spaces master-class with a group of Key Stage 3 pupils at Mount Carmel School in North London, is available on www.newscast.co.uk (020 7608 1000).

For further information and to arrange interviews with Wayne Hemingway and Senior CITB-ConstructionSkills spokespeople please contact: Rebecca Jones at Ketchum PR on 020 7611 3586 OR Leander Perry at CITB - ConstructionSkills on 020 7600 7700

-1- The top prize in the Creative Spaces competition is GBP50,000 worth of building work

-2- ConstructionSkills is the new Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, it is a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (GB and Northern Ireland) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC).

-3- The 12 GBP3,000 prizes go to 9 regional winners in England and winners for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

-4- Source: CITB Skills Foresight Report, Feb 2002