The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has developed a construction computer game for children, aimed at attracting a new generation of industry professionals.

'Craft your Future' targets children aged between 12 – 14 and takes place in Minecraft, a popular sandbox video game.

A series of four freely available Minecraft Education Lessons can be downloaded by teachers and encourages young people to explore the methods/skills needed to become a construction manager.

The CIOB states with over 400,000 UK construction workers set to retire between 2018 and 2023, educational initiatives such as 'Craft your Future' will help alleviate the skills crisis.

With lessons taking place in 'Newtown', a specially created virtual city, exercises involve the design, planning, collaboration and build solutions to provide a sustainable future for the computerized city. Other real life scenarios feature restoring Battersea Power Station.

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Bridget Bartlett deputy chief executive at the CIOB, said: "Combining Minecraft and a thorough curriculum for the teacher makes for a unique and immersive experience and will help reveal why the industry is important and why a career in construction can be so rewarding. There are 70 million people playing Minecraft and just like Lego it has the capacity to inspire and attract a new wave of construction managers into an ever-increasing digital industry.

"What is exciting is that these young learners will not only have fun but also develop their communication, team working and mathematics skills; skills that construction has a high demand for.

"The lessons are designed to be teacher friendly and we hope construction employers will also want to use them in schools as they bid to switch the next generation onto a career in construction."

For more information, visit here.

(LM/MH)