A university has teamed up with Braintree firms to offer a three-year degree tailored towards house building.

Anglia Ruskin University, in Chelmsford, will offer a new business management programme in September after an agreement was formed with Tamdown and TriConnex, which deal with construction.

The honours degree, which will be offered under the university’s Degrees at Work programme, is aimed at filling the skills void that has hampered house building in recent years, causing house prices to sky rocket.

Mark Waine, group HR director for Tamdown and TriConnex, said: “It has been acknowledged in industry press over the last year that the construction and house-building sector is being affected by a lack of skills, due to the recent economic troubles."

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times - out on Thursday - for the full story.