Projects like the Millennium Centre involve hundreds of skilled workers Tradesmen: How can we produce more?

Major civil engineering projects and increased demand for building work on homes means that an estimated 7,500 extra construction workers will be needed in Wales during the next four years.

Industry figures predict that in the years up to 2007 in Wales, there will be a need for a further 2,800 employees in wood trades, 1,800 bricklayers, 1,800 electricians and 1,200 painters.

Welsh Education Minister, Jane Davidson, is launching a new training initiative aimed at tackling the issue at Cardiff's City Hall on Wednesday.

The Skills Council for the Construction Industry's initiative will also ask industry leaders to identify exactly where the skill shortages are.

The new �55m Welsh assembly building is a major construction project

In a recent survey of Welsh companies, the Construction Industry Training Board found that 69% of participating companies had found difficulties in recruiting skilled staff, with employers experiencing the most difficulty in recruiting carpenters and joiners and bricklayers.

More than a third of employers also reported problems with new employees lacking the variety of skills required for certain jobs.

There are around 93,000 people - 8% of the total workforce - employed in 10,000 businesses in the construction industry in Wales.

Major Welsh projects which have created the extra demand for skilled construction workers include the building of the �700m Cardiff International Sports Village, the �55m Welsh assembly building and the Wales Millennium Centre for the Arts, which is due to open in November.