THE upturn in Derby’s property market will help create thousands of building jobs, according to the Construction Industry Training Board.

Research by the organisation estimates that about 10,000 construction jobs will be created in the region over the next five years, driven largely by the upturn in the housing market.

The CITB, which supports training in the construction industry, said that the Government’s Help to Buy and Funding for Lending schemes were making “major contributions” to growth in the housing sector.

It said that about 1,950 construction workers would be needed yearly, including plumbers, plasterers, labourers, painters and decorators and logistics personnel.

The organisation said the challenge would be to find and train up these workers, as during the recession the construction industry lost a number of skilled workers.

That is the challenge for companies like Hodgkinson Brickwork Contractors, based on Pride Park.

The firm supplies bricklayers for a range of construction projects.

The majority of its workers are currently involved in building residential projects.

Boss Ian Hodgkinson said: “We’ve got about 60 bricklayers out there working at full pelt. We’ve done more work in the past six months than the previous 18 months.”

“The UK had fallen behind in its targets to build more homes, but added to that is the pent-up demand, which has built up over the past couple of years.

“During the downturn many contractors went under. It was a case of last man standing. But construction firms that made it through the recession are now reaping the dividends.

“In the downturn I had to let some skilled people go in order to survive. Today, I have a great team around me and am in the process of taking on apprentices from Derby College and giving the next generation of bricklayers a chance.”