Property maintenance service company Country & Town has found its own way of tackling the threat of a skills shortage.

The company, which specialises in plumbing and electrical contracts, has published Percy Pulls the Plug, a light-hearted book aimed at older children and created to raise the profile of and interest in modern apprenticeships among young people.


The book follows the every day exploits of Percy Pipe, a young trainee plumber, as he begins his apprenticeship. While the book is intended for children, it gives an accurate insight into the day to day life of an apprentice.


Country & Town hopes that Percy Pulls the Plug will get young people thinking about apprenticeships at an early age, when they are first considering options and career choices, rather than leaving it until it’s too late.


Operating across Cheshire and Greater Manchester on projects including residential and commercial properties, Country and Town recognises the demand for high-quality, competent trade professionals in the construction industry.


However, the lack of young people coming into trades today is resulting in a marked skills shortage that the company believes can only spell bad news for the client and contractor alike.


It says it sees a real need for young people to be educated and informed at an early age of the existence and benefit of apprenticeships.