Twenty-three of Scotland's most promising young construction apprentices have been honoured at a special celebration of skills in Perth.

The apprentices were attending WorldSkills UK 2008 - Scotland awards, which recognise excellence in vocational skills across a diverse range of industries, including construction, hairdressing and music.

The participating students, aged from 16-23, received gold, silver and bronze medals in areas ranging from bricklaying through to carpentry and joinery from Minister for Schools and Skills Maureen Watt and Olympic gold medallist, Chris Hoy.

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Graeme Ogilvy from ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry said: "It is fantastic to see the stars of the future here today from so many key vocational sectors, including construction. They have competed in Scotland and the UK and have excelled in their chosen fields.

"At the moment, it is imperative that the construction industry invests in its young talent and nurtures it over the coming months.

These young people are the future of our respective industries and it's important that we recognise and develop that. ConstructionSkills is committed to helping the industry achieve this through extensive training and development."

(CD/JM)