Tony Carruthers, 54, is curriculum manager for construction at Barking & Dagenham College and a member of the Guild of Bricklayers. He tells Kay Atwal how he started

“Bricks are a fantastic building material. They need little maintenance – no other material has their durability.

“I started as an apprentice bricklayer with Ashby & Horner, who can trace their origins back to 1740.

“In fact, they were one of a number of companies who helped rebuild London after the Second World War.

“I worked my way up to become a foreman and then a site manager. In 1992 I moved into teaching so I could play my part in keeping alive the skills and techniques of quality bricklaying.

“I’ve worked for the college now for 22 years and I manage all our courses in bricklaying, plastering, dry lining, painting and decorating, and carpentry – as well as construction design and site management for those who want to train as surveyors, architects and site managers or supervisors.

“The London construction sector is booming – there are developments here in our own borough at Barking Riverside where 11,000 new homes and five new schools are planned, and also at Nine Elms on the South Bank, where a workforce of 8,500 will peak in mid-2016. It’s equivalent to the size of the Olympic workforce.

“Construction employers are warning of shortages of bricklayers and bricks. Many of the brickworks were closed during the recession and now demand is outstripping supply.

“The London construction industry needs qualified professionals.”