A BOOM in the construction industry will create more than 200,000 jobs by 2019 - thousands of them in the North-East - leading to fears of a looming skills shortage.

More than 40,000 new workers will be needed every year, 8,000 more than previously predicted, said the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The boom and bust nature of the building trade saw it suffer major job cuts and closures during the downturn, but there has been a noticeable upswing over the last 12 months which looks set to continue.

Private housebuilding is tipped to increase by 4.6 per cent over the next few years, while employment is expected to be particularly strong in Wales and the north of England.

Among the major North-East projects in the pipeline are the £800m regeneration of Sunderland, motorway improvements, as well as construction of a new bridge over the River Wear in Sunderland - with the lead contractor for the much delayed work set to be named tomorrow (WEDNESDAY).

The increase in work has resulted in a shortage of skilled staff and materials. Before Christmas it emerged that some building firms were having to hire bricklayers from Portugal, paying them £1,000 a week, because of a dearth of workers from the UK.

Steve Radley, the CITB's director of policy, said: "Our forecast shows that construction is experiencing a major comeback, with a sustained period of growth set to make a positive impact on the wider economy. Leisure, infrastructure and housing are all driving growth, but this brings with it new challenges in meeting skills demand.

"Employers will need to pull every lever available to them to meet the skills challenge they face but Government can play a vital role in giving them the confidence to invest in training for the long-term.

"To help it plan ahead, industry needs a clear commitment from all political parties in the run up to the general election that infrastructure projects will be delivered on time and to plan in the next parliament.

"Government can also help employers to develop the next generation of workers by sending out a clear signal that it will make it as simple as possible for companies of all sizes to invest in apprenticeships," added Mr Radley.