ANITA SMITH focuses on how a construction firm is seeking to lay the foundations that will attract further recruits into the industry

ATTRACTING workers has always been a problem in Basingstoke - especially in the construction industry.

Bosses at Basingstoke-based national housebuilder Lovell are always trying to find ways of encouraging youngsters to think of construction as a possible career option.

In a bid to attract new recruits, the firm has tried to establish links with the local schools since it moved to Basingstoke 18 months ago, but it has not received a very good response.

At its site in Basingstoke, Lovell has taken on six trainees, three of whom are management trainees.

Karl Chambers joined the company's three-year training programme after leaving Brighton Hill Community School.

The 17-year-old said he has always been interested in the industry, preferring a job outdoors rather than being stuck in an office.

He added: "My dad used to be a bricklayer, and my uncle. I wanted to be like them."

Karl has been in the job for about 16 weeks now and most of his training involves hands-on experience.

When he is not on the building site in Western Way, South Ham, he travels to a college in Leicester.

He said: "When I first did it, I thought it looked quite easy but it's actually quite hard.

"Once you get the knack, it's all right. I've just got to learn to speed up now."

Susan Gilmore, the regional director's secretary and training administrator, said that, nowadays, youngsters tend to prefer working with computers than doing manual work.

"Basingstoke is more of a hi-tech area," she said.

"I'm surprised the schools don't encourage the kids to think about the construction industry. They don't know what we're offering."

The essence of Lovell's training scheme is to create top-class workers.

Susan said: "You just can't get quality craftsmen. We try to improve the standard of tradesmen in the industry.

"It's a good training scheme and they tend to come straight from school.

"The craft trainees do NVQs up to level three and the management trainees do HNDs or HNCs."

For now, Lovell's latest project is trying to build a link with Basingstoke College Of Technology as well as encouraging more people to do work experience at the building sites.