The events, which were held at Fernielea Primary School yesterday, saw pupils come together to build a 15-metre long, and 2.8-metre high bridge, drawing on a range of business-related skills such as project management, communication and time management.

Run in partnership with Developing Young Workforce (DYW) the sessions highlighted some of the many career opportunities the construction industry offers.

A number of representatives from local businesses were also on hand to provide information, including staff from Safety Scotland Ltd, Leiths (Scotland) Ltd, CHAP Group and Zero C Holdings. Personnel from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) were also present, along with those from the Institution of Civil Engineers, who provided the bridge.

Grampian Construction Training’s Michelle Forth said: “There are quite a few myths out there about the construction industry and people aren’t always aware of the number of varied and exciting career opportunities that exist for school leavers and college and University graduates alike.

“For example, a wide range of jobs relating to finance, marketing, business development and IT can be found across the industry, as well as those to connected to a live construction site or workshop such as joiners, electricians and plumber.

“New technologies also continue to play a really important part in how we work, with Building Information Modelling (BIM), Computer Aided Design (CAD) and even nanotechnology being widely used. Plus many construction careers are focused on green technologies and sustainability.

“Finally, with more than 320,000 women working in construction in the UK, it’s an industry that is attractive and accessible to all.”

Lisa Walker, head teacher, Fernielea Primary School, said: “It was great for our pupils to gain some insight into the opportunities that exist within the construction industry.

“The fact that the sessions were both practical and informative was great, and there’s no doubt the pupils came away with a much greater understanding of the varying career options available to them either immediately after school or following further education.”

Formed in 1998 as a result of the amalgamation of the Grampian Association of Civil Engineering Contractors and the Grampian Builders Training Group, Grampian Construction training works closely with industry to identify individual training needs and produce bespoke training programmes. It currently has 78 members from across the North-east.