THE construction industry has launched a charm offensive to fill an estimated 430,000 vacancies by 2010.

The Government has a £76bn building plan for the next five years, but a shortage of trained workers could jeopardise key projects.

If London wins the contest to host the 2012 Olympics, it is vital the workforce is ready.

The Government need only look at the controversy surrounding the Athens Olympics, where venues were hurriedly finished only hours before the Games began, to appreciate the importance of having enough skilled workers.

A multi-media campaign was launched yesterday to attract more youngsters into the industry.

The campaign, called Positive Image, will appeal to school leavers through television, Internet and poster promotions.

The industry's skills council leaders warned there must be a wholesale change in attitudes if construction was to flourish.

Peter Lobban, from CITB-ConstructionSkills, which focuses on recruitment and training, said the benefits of the campaign were manifest.

"If parents want their children to have rewarding careers, if people want their extensions built by skilled workmen, if the Government wants hospitals, schools and homes built to schedule and within budget, we have to ensure a fully qualified workforce.

"To do this, we must all reject the idea of paying only the lowest price for a job, which creates a niche for the untrained, unskilled cowboy."

Projects such as the £10bn Crossrail Link and the Olympics will place enormous pressure on builders and construction workers.

Mr Lobban said there had been a 25 per cent rise in applications for places on construction courses and a 30 per cent increase in submissions for apprenticeships grants, but it was not enough.

"There has never been a more challenging or exciting time for the construction industry and young people really can see that potential now," he said.

Business Echo revealed in January that a nationwide shortage of tradespeople was costing the North-East dear as lucrative contracts on major developments, such as Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, drew skilled workers to the South.

Despite a boom in available construction work, particularly at Gateshead Quays, contractors were finding it increasingly difficult to find the skilled workers to complete projects on time.