PUPILS from Blessed George Napier School in Banbury have been encouraged to take up a career in construction thanks to local tradesmen and UGS builders merchants.

UGS, with its headquarters in Southam Road, Banbury, hosted skills workshops last week in laying bricks, blocks, slabs, and paving to mark the start of National Construction Week - which aims to introduce school-leavers to jobs in the building industry.

Jamie Pilbin, UGS director, said: "This was a great opportunity for UGS and its customers to showcase the wide variety of skills needed in today's modern construction industry.

"With a shortage of skilled tradesmen, particularly as we move towards major projects like the 2012 Olympics, it is more important than ever to attract young people to work in the sector."

Pupils aged 14 to 16, who are studying construction at the school, took part in the workshops run by Banbury-based Jamie Lang, of L&H Building Services, and Darren Upstone-Smith, of Impressive Paving.

Former builder Alan Rankin, head of design and technology at BGN, said: "I wanted them to experience the real world. It is difficult to get craftsmen and tradesmen to come in to the school, and going to building sites isn't easy because of health and safety considerations, so the visit to UGS was ideal for us. The boys all really enjoyed themselves and it was very valuable for them."