The new Plymouth Job Shop has been launched this week, in a bid to promote construction in the South West.

The scheme, set up by the ‘SWH Group’ in conjunction with the ‘Building Plymouth’ initiative set up by the city council, aims to promote exciting careers in the construction industry, while tackling skills gaps.

Furthermore, the job shop will try to alter people’s perceptions of building trade stereotypes.

Over the course of the next five years, CITB has estimated that there will be around 6,480 jobs generated in the South West construction industry, resulting from considerable investments in infrastructure.

In that same period, there are also set to be just short of 3,000 technical and IT staff and non-construction professionals needed every year, alongside nearly 800 process and senior executive managers.

As well as this there will be a requirement of almost 500 more bricklayers, 230 roofers and 400 plasterers.

Having launched in May, the scheme offers a great deal of advice on the various types construction roles that must be filled in order for South West construction projects to be a success.

SWH said that visitors to the job shop will see for themselves the first rate scheme they have created, helped by its closeness to a major construction scheme.

Prospective construction industry workers can drop in to the job shop from Wednesday to Friday (10am till noon) and as well as compiling a list of vacant jobs, there will also be workshops and information sessions on offer.

SWH Group Training Manager, John Matthews, said that it is vital for the local construction industry to being in fresh blood.

Mr Matthews said that having worked in the sector for the last 40 years, he has never experienced such an exciting time like this for Plymouth’s younger generation to follow such a secure career path in the industry.