Apprentices - the Life Blood of Construction, or a Soft Option?

'Under Construction - the Apprentice Experience' - Film Launches Today.

LONDON, February 28, 2011 - CITB-ConstructionSkills is getting its hands dirty. In a new three-part
documentary series, 'Under Construction - the Apprentice Experience,'
launched today by construction industry bible Building magazine in
association with CITB-ConstructionSkills, three high profile leaders swap
their suits and office wear for high visibility jackets and hard hats. Their
voyage? To discover what apprenticeships are really like and the contribution
they make to the construction industry.

Visit: www.building.co.uk/csfilm to watch the first film.

In the first film, Deputy Chairman CITB-ConstructionSkills Judy Lowe
becomes an apprentice for the day at Hadley Shopfitters in Portsmouth, a 70
year old joinery and shopfitting specialist. Hadley works with some of the
leading names in the UK retail, hotel and museum sectors including Harrods,
Selfridges Hotel and the Natural History Museum.

Apprenticeships have long divided opinion. For some young people, they
are seen as the soft option to a university education, and in these tough
economic times, some businesses consider them to be an expensive luxury.

The series will explore the reality of apprenticeships - whether they are
viable for businesses in tough market conditions, whether they really do add
value to the industry, and what role they have in helping businesses prepare
for the upturn.

Notes to Editors:

Building is the UK's leading magazine for construction professionals
featuring the latest news, expertise and intelligence from the building
industry.

CITB-ConstructionSkills are the Sector Skills Council and Industry
Training Board for the construction industry, working with industry, for
industry to deliver a safe, professional and fully qualified UK construction
workforce.

For more information about Building contact: Alison Mee, +44(0)207-560-4165, Ali.mee at ubm.com; For more information about CITB-ConstructionSkills contact: Michelle Cowley, +44(0)300-456-5430, Michelle.Cowley at cskills.org