Construction union UCATT has slammed reports foreign bricklayers have been hired to work for £1,000 a week.

The union blames the industry for a 30-year failure to train apprentices.

In 2013, 7,280 construction apprentices completed their training across all trades. Training body Construction Skills have estimated the industry needs 35,000 new entrants to stand still and this figure will grow as construction recovers from recession.

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Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "Skills shortages are a direct result of the industry failing to invest in the future. The entire mind-set of the construction industry is focused on maximising short-term profits.

"The construction industry goes to great lengths not to employ workers directly and in that environment it is unsurprising that companies are not prepared to invest in apprentices, the workers of the future."

UCATT believe that a major step forward to increasing apprentice numbers would be the introduction of strict public procurement rules requiring companies to recruit and train apprentices. Companies that failed to train adequate numbers of apprentices would be barred from bidding for contracts.

(CD/JP)