PERSIMMON Homes, the UK's second largest housebuilder, is increasing its number of apprentice and graduate placements during 2003, as part of the company's commitment to tackling the current skills shortage in the UK construction industry.
The number of apprentices taken on by Persimmon will increase from 200 to a target of 400, while graduate placements will also continue to increase over the next few years.
John White, group chief executive of Persimmon Homes, said: "The industry is clearly making headway in terms of attracting young people to consider a career in construction.
"Persimmon has been playing its part in the campaign to raise awareness with the launch of a careers manual, poster campaign and an apprentice awards scheme.
"But attracting people into the industry is only half the battle - we've been speaking to careers advisers across the UK who regularly find themselves struggling to convert that initial interest into a career path, often because of insufficient work experience and job placements.
"We hope the extra apprentice and graduate placements at Persimmon Homes will go some way to addressing this shortfall of opportunities," he said.
"With the industry crying out for fresh talent we shall very much look forward to tracking the progress of our new colleagues."
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