From ultra-modern offices, state-of-the-art sports arenas and sprawling shopping centres to heritage sites, shops and family homes, construction literally shapes the towns and cities we live in. International gas and oil pipelines and ambitious transportation developments like Japan’s Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel have taken construction under water. And with the advent of space stations, construction projects are extending beyond our humble planet to the outer limits.

But whether on land, under sea or in space, transforming plan to structure requires the input of hundreds of specialties, making construction a diverse and multi-faceted discipline. It’s no surprise, then, that construction is the UK’s largest industry, employing 2.2 million people. However, despite the enormity of its workforce it faces skills shortages. Current strategies seek to introduce half a million skilled and qualified entrants to the industry by 2013, presenting an exciting and lucrative opportunity for learners of all ages.