Internet bid to ease skills crisis

Construction's newest workers are being recruited by blog and on social networking websites in a new approach to remedy the skills shortage.

ConstructionSkills has poured its advertising budget into online banner-ads and websites to lure media-savvy youngsters into the industry.

In a move that will cut costs, it has engaged young construction workers to set up blogs on Bebo, where they talk about their jobs and how to get into the industry.

ConstructionSkills said the new strategy had already paid dividends, with an online competition to win a Wii attracting 2,000 entries.