28 October 2004

Pupils lay the bricks

Photo opportunity 1.15pm, Thursday 28 October, Estates and Buildings, Small's Wynd, Dundee.

School children will help to build a new research centre at the University of Dundee tomorrow when they visit the building sites to discover more about the construction industry and the variety of careers in construction from engineer through to bricklayer.

Pupils from Grove and Harris Academies, and Menzieshill and Carnoustie High Schools will cement bricks to build the new Applied Computing building guided by the contractors Brown Construction. The pupils will be given a safety helmet, a high visibility bib and strong boots to wear on their tour for health and safety purposes.

A report commissioned by the Construction Industry Training Board shows from a sample that two thirds of construction jobs in Scotland are difficult to fill due to the quality and quantity of applicants and their lack of skills and qualifications.

After their site visit the pupils will take part in a roofbuilding challenge, attaching roof tiles to a framed roof.

A visit to the site of the new Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and an introduction to careers in the industry will give them an overview of the construction industry.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), WH Brown Construction and Sir Robert McAlpine have joined with Estates and Buildings and the University's Division of Civil Engineering to present showcase the construction industry to young people who might consider a job in the industry.

Contact Mike Sinclair on 01382 348343

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk