BBA's bid to attract the young

Young people are to be enticed into the construction industry by a campaign launched next week by the Better Brickwork Alliance (BBA) in conjunction with other industry bodies.

The Book On The Wall poster and website campaign will target 4,500 schools across the UK, providing careers guidance for 13 to 17 year-olds who are interested in working in the building sector.

The campaign's website, www.brickpath.info, consists of a Star Wars-style page telling the story of the history of brick, while other features include a section with games and biographies of successful people who started out as brickies.

Michael Driver from the BBA commented: "The brick industry is often criticised for having a lack of skilled workers as well as being perceived as a dead-end career. We recognise that young people are not aware of the full scope of career opportunities available in the construction industry, which is why we have developed this scheme."

The BBA feels the UK education system is failing to encourage people into vocational careers.