The UK construction industry faces multiple challenges. One of them is finding sufficient workers in particular trades, including bricklaying. The other, in common with so many other sectors, is trying to be greener and reduce carbon footprints.

Many construction firms are apprenticeship providers, which can go some way towards addressing the first issue. The second, however, requires some extra innovation. But it appears one firm has managed to combine both.

Ibstock, a major maker of construction products, has just invested £64 million in a new brick factory at its Atlas plant in Walsall, reports the Express and Star. Not only will this provide new apprenticeships as well as permanent jobs, but also increase output by 75 per cent from its previous factory at the same site.

While one percentage rises, another will fall, as the plant will produce its new Pathfinder bricks, which are zero-carbon products. This will reduce the overall embodied carbon in the structures it builds by 50 per cent.

In addition, the new plant uses various energy-saving technologies and has some on-site renewable electricity facilities to produce some of its own power. This will enable Ibstock to make progress towards its longer-term net zero goals.

This means that the new apprentices among the extra 60 staff at the site will be starting their careers by gaining a deeper understanding of the issues involved in reducing the carbon footprint of the construction sector.

Embedded carbon takes into account the total emissions of a built asset’s lifetime, which means it does not just measure the emissions produced by the construction process, but will also consider the acquisition of materials, the disposal of old supplies and the manufacturing process involved in making building materials.

Apprentices working in plants like the new Atlas factory will have the opportunity to be at the forefront of the quest to reduce embedded carbon by taking steps to ensure every element of the construction process is made greener, making this an exciting career choice for eco-conscious youngsters.