A construction training centre for undergraduates at the National Construction College is to stay in business after receiving funding.

The Constructionarium is to continue beyond its initial three-year term after securing 拢150,000 of core funding from the industry. The partners behind the scheme are seeking European funds for expansion, which may take the form of a Scottish centre.

The scheme aims to provide students from universities across the UK with experience of a construction environment where they can practise technical skills including cost control and programming. The centre, which covers 10 acres in Norfolk, has hosted two week-long training events for students in the past year. Experts from John Doyle Construction, Shepherd Construction and engineers Arup and Expedition oversaw students as they constructed scaled projects including a hydroelectric dam and a tented stadium.

The centre hopes to run a further two events next year.

Stef Stefanou, chairman of John Doyle and co-ordinator of the initiative, said: 鈥淚t would be fantastic to see this practical application of theory featuring as part of all civil engineering courses in years to come.鈥�

It would be fantastic to see this as part of all civil engineering courses in years to come

Stef Stefanou, John Doyle Construction

The Constructionarium moved to its purpose-built site at the National Construction College, which is run by CITB-ConstructionSkills, earlier this year. The scheme was conceived in 2002 by John Doyle, the Arup Foundation, Expedition and Imperial College London.

n Almost 80% of construction firms have experienced problems with recruitment over the past year, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Builders. The survey of the institute鈥檚 members found the highest level of difficulty was in recruiting craft workers, with 42% of companies registering a serious problem. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents acknowledged there was a shortage of training placements in the industry.