CITB’s National Construction Colleges East and Scotland Welcoming Roofing Apprentices Starting This Year

THE ROOF TRAINING department at CITB National Construction College (NCC) England East and Scotland is welcoming roofing apprentices to start their construction training with various start dates available this year.

At NCC England East (Norfolk) the first cohort of apprentices started their Roofing apprenticeship standard in February 2025 and the college based near Kings Lynn will be welcoming two more cohorts of roofing apprentices later this year in June and October.

Ian Cook, roofing tutor at CITB National Construction College East, Bircham near King’s Lyn, Norfolk.

The roofing students are being taught by experienced roofer, Ian Cook, who worked for GHB Roofing in Ipswich for many years and has also run his own roofing business.

Ian said, “I’m so excited to be teaching these young people. As soon as I start talking to them about roofing, I get so passionate I have to remind myself to slow down. They don’t have to know everything about roofing all at once!”

Roofing Apprentices

The roofing apprentices come to NCC for roof training in nine two-week blocks over 18 months. In between the training blocks they ‘earn while they learn’ with their employers and put together a portfolio showcasing the work they have done and the skills they have learnt.

Recently NCC England East has seen significant investment offering a NEW state of the art gym, welfare facilities where learners can play pool, game, and relax. Or if they prefer to sign up for evening and weekend activities arranged off site by the experienced supportive Welfare team available 24/7. As well as the fantastic onsite accommodation and catering (including Costa) available.

“It’s great for the apprentices who stay here. There’s a gym, games room, tv with Xbox and Playstation and there are other activities arranged for them. All the meals are catered for them – they’re so well looked after.

Ian explains, “It’s great for the apprentices who stay here. There’s a gym, games room, tv with Xbox and Playstation and there are other activities arranged for them. All the meals are catered for them – they’re so well looked after. It’s a big plus for employers sending apprentices who are teenagers who might not have been away from home before.”

In their first two weeks of roof training, Ian has covered the all-important health and safety, and some basic working practices such as using tools.

Starting in Roofing

Ian looks back to his own start in the roofing industry as a labourer where he learned from the experienced ‘ganger’ roofers.

“I thought, ‘this is it for me, I’ll go for it’”, Ian enthuses, “and I never looked back. I was learning as much as I could, and eventually I became very neat and was told I had a talent for it.”

When Ian moved to GHB Roofing he got his NVQ through onsite assessment visits made by a tutor. “I would talk so much with the tutor; I soaked up everything I could about roofing techniques. I also learned so much because there was a massive variety of work – everything from porches to big heritage roofs and new builds, as well as flat roofing.”

Apprenticeship Journey

Ian’s experience has made him appreciate the apprenticeship journey and value the off-the-job opportunity to focus on the learning students get at Bircham. Ian comments, “I like to teach the theory behind different roofing skills and techniques. These young roofers need to know what they’re doing and understand why they do it, so they can work out if something’s wrong and how to put it right.

Demonstrating how to cut lead at the CITB National Construction College East, as part of the Roofing Apprenticeship training.

“Nothing is ever perfect in the real world of roofing. You come across awkward details, characterful (but not straight) ridges, and the apprentices need to learn how to adapt and find a way to complete the roof to a high standard. That’s why it’s so important that they have the theoretical understanding.

“They also need to speak to homeowners or clients knowledgeably so that they understand the job their roofer is doing.”

Ian has recently achieved his Level 3 Certificate in Education and is now working towards his Level 5 Certificate. So, he too understands and empathise with his learners.

He says, “Before doing my teaching qualification and SMSTS, the last time I had written anything down was on a piece of felt. If I needed to remember it, I would take a photo on my phone!”

Training Challenges

It means Ian is very aware of the challenges of learning: “Like me, the students need to get used to the classroom elements of the training, brush up on the standards like BS5534 and ‘unlearn’ some bad habits picked up on site.

“When we talk, I put myself back on the scaffold and see the students as I would have my labourers. I want to teach them everything they will need to know and come across to be the best roofers they can be and set the standard for the next generation,” Ian ends.

Ian has a vast amount of industry experience within roofing and is extremely eager to share his knowledge and skills with the next generation of roofers. This is a fantastic opportunity to be able to expand our curriculum offer here at Bircham to meet industry demand and we look forward to supporting employers and building long term relationships in order to bridge the required skills gap. As we welcome Ian and Roof, Slating and Tiling we are also looking at further expansion of our curriculum in offering the Roof, Sheeting and Cladding apprentice pathway as well and we would welcome communications from industry in supporting them with their training needs.
Ross Ward – Programme Manager for Construction and Specialist Build – NCC England East

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