DUNDEE COLLEGE is helping to fill the skills shortage in Scotland’s expanding building industry with its range of construction courses.

Lecturers at the college claim an increasingly high calibre of students are applying for their building programmes.

Over 100 people applied to enrol in the college’s pre-apprenticeship introduction to building course, which begins this month.

Lecturers have just completed interviewing for places on the full-time programme, which lasts for 18 weeks and offers tasters in a range of disciplines including plastering, joinery, painting and decorating, electrical installation and brickwork.

A college spokesman said, “Unfortunately we can only offer 28 places, but it is heartening to see such a diverse group looking to kick-start a career in construction.

“For far too long construction has been seen as a bit of a poor relation in terms of career choice.

“Nowadays, however, we are getting top-quality candidates who are choosing construction as their first option in terms of a career.”

Pre-apprenticeship introduction to building is not the only programme offering the chance to sample building trades.

The college’s construction apprentice training initiative continues to attract S3 school pupils.

Running for four years, pupils attend college one half-day each week with the aim to achieve SVQ Level II units in specific crafts.

The pupils then attend college on a full-time bursary supported programme for a period of up to 26 weeks to complete a full SVQ Level II group award and prepare for employment.

The initiative, supported by the European Social Fund, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise Tayside, has seen 56 young people secure apprenticeships within the industry.

Local employers who take part in the scheme guarantee jobs for those pupils who complete all the stages of this programme.