SOUTH Lakeland is facing a skills shortage crisis in construction, according to industry leaders.

They have warned that construction companies are suffering because fewer young people are applying for apprenticeships.

Fewer suitable applicants than ever before have applied to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for apprenticeships this year.

CITB officials said the number of applicants to the CITB in the South Lakeland area has fallen dramatically by 40 per cent in 2002, compared with previous years.

While the CITB often struggles to attract enough employer placements in other areas, it says in Kendal the challenge is to recruit the right number of individuals.

Part of the shortage stems from the fact that Kendal has a very high percentage of 16-year-olds - a "staggering" 75 per cent - who stay in higher education, says the CITB.

Dave Horn of Gatebeck-based Lakeland Joinery is one of a number of local firms affected by the shortage.

He said: "We have been extremely lucky that the apprentices we have had in the past have turned out to be such good workers, however there haven't been many to choose from and this year there seems to be fewer still."

CITB local training officer John Iddon said raising public aware-ness of job prospects in the industry could help to ease the recruitment problem.

"There is a perception that construction apprenticeships are low paid temporary placements, when in reality apprentices are in full-time employment with industry standard wages."

This view is echoed by Gary Davis, managing director of Kendal-based Cox and Allen.

He commented: "It is not necessarily the misconception that construction is a dirty, messy industry which is putting applicants off, but rather their preference to study towards perceived 'higher level' qualifications.

"It should be recognised that a craft qualification can open the door to various jobs and it is by no means unusual for this to be the case.

"We have a number of such examples of progression from craft to management within our own company."

A CITB spokeswoman said there had been some "tremendous" success stories in recent years in the South Lakeland area, from craft students winning awards for their work to individuals pursuing degree level qualifications at local universities.

Yet this year a total of ten vacancies - one-third of the total for the area - still remain unfilled.

Anyone wanting more information about a career in construction should ring the CITB on 01228-529281.