PERSIMMON Homes Yorkshire, the York-based building giant, has launched a poster campaign to attract 14-16 year olds into the construction industry.

The company is targeting secondary schools, further education colleges and careers offices across the UK with its message: "It takes over 20 different careers to build just one home... which one suits you?"

The posters are part of the company's Homing In On Opportunity campaign, a series of initiatives designed to address the skills shortage in the UK house building industry.

John White, group chief executive, said: "Over the last four years in particular, we have regularly been in contact with more than 200 careers offices around the UK to gain feedback on our comprehensive careers manual as well as to make sure that our initiatives are completely appropriate.

"In aiming to attract more young people to think about the house building industry as a rewarding career, we are aware that we're not top of many young people's lists at the moment, but we'd like to change that.

"Many have been surprised that there are more than 20 different careers involved in building just one home, from skilled trades such as bricklaying, joinery and plumbing through to the opportunity to obtain professional qualifications - accountancy, surveying or the law to name but a few."

Across the country, Persimmon now employs more than 400 apprentices and runs an annual apprentice award scheme involving all 33 group companies.

For further information, phone the Persimmon hotline on 08459 101011.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is once again on the hunt in Yorkshire for the best young talent in Britain as it launches its search for the Apprentice Of The Year.

Ron Wilson, FMB regional director said: "There is a real shortage of new talent coming into the industry and, by highlighting the achievements of apprentices in Yorkshire, we want to demonstrate that construction offers a wide variety of excellent and rewarding career options."

A career in the building industry is favoured by many parents in Yorkshire, according to research by the FMB.

Apprentice Of The Year is one of eight individual categories in the 2005 Master Builder of the Year Awards.

Entries, which must be submitted by May 31, do not have to be the biggest or most complicated projects, they just need to show the apprentice has used a high level of skill in their chosen trade.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the FMB website, www.findabuilder.co.uk.

Updated: 11:39 Wednesday, April 06, 2005