STUDENTS from Lancaster Royal Grammar School will be taken on a rollercoaster ride of discovery during this year's National Construction Week.

They will join more than 150 pupils from across Lancashire who will be given the opportunity to learn about the construction of Blackpool's Big One' - Europe's largest and fastest rollercoaster.

In the shadow of the design, on Monday the youngsters will meet Doug Dadswell, technical director of Jacob Babtie and the structural engineer behind the project, before they embark on a Vertical Challenge' to design their own model rollercoaster.

Under the expert guidance of Doug and other local chartered civil engineers, the schoolchildren will be able to put into practice some of the principles that they have learned during the day.

The event has been organised by ConstructionSkills as part of a national drive to demonstrate the career opportunities that the modern construction industry has to offer.

"Events like this are great for opening the eyes of the next generation of professionals to some of the exciting career opportunities that are available to them in the future," says Caroline Gee, Education Manager at ConstructionSkills.

This is the eighth year that the construction industry has come together to fire the imagination of youngsters and help address the skills shortages in an industry where no fewer than 86,000 people are needed every year to replace those retiring and to meet new demands.

"It is easy to take for granted all the everyday things around us that have been created or designed by engineers and other professionals within the construction industry," says Doug Dadswell.

"But it is so important to ensure that these skills are passed on to tomorrow' s professionals," he adds.

David Saul of Lancaster Royal Grammar School says: "This is a great opportunity for the pupils to experience engineering first hand and a fun way of demonstrating the practical uses of technology which is studied at school."