Oregon contractors this weekend unveiled a new advertising campaign aimed at attracting young workers to the construction industry. Central to the campaign is an interactive Web site featuring videos, links to resources, a demolition game and live blogs written by young builders.

The site, developed by the Oregon-Columbia Chapter of the Associated General Contractors, aims to dispel myths about the construction industry and give interested youth somewhere to go for information on careers in construction, said Karla Holland, communications manager with AGC.

Like many other industries, construction is facing a shortage of skilled labor with half of its Oregon workforce expected to retire in the next 10 years, according to AGC.

At the same time, 14 percent of Oregon high school students drop out before graduation, according to a 2007 report from the Oregon Department of Education. The Portland School District ranked among the worst in the state, with a 27-percent high school dropout rate last year, according to ODE.