Roof Training Groups Working Together to Promote Roofing

THE WALES NATIONAL ROOF TRAINING GROUP (WNRTG) and Yorkshire Independent Roof Training Group (YIRTG) have joined together to promote roofing in a series of events.

Under the banner of ‘Proud to Promote Roofing’, the roof training groups have provided the opportunity to find out more about roofing as a career to almost 10,000 youngsters, staging introductions to roofing to 300 young people who have actively engaged with the roofing stand.

Youngsters learn about the routes they can take and how, through a Specialist Applied-Skills Programme (SAP) in Level 2 Roof Slating and Tiling, they can ‘earn while they learn’, leading to qualifying as a roofer and gaining a Level 2 NVQ Roof Slating and Tiling.

Visits to career fairs have seen the groups bring mini roofing rigs to allow young people to try their hand at assembling pitched tiled roofs.

Youngsters are then given a fun quiz with prizes to assess their new-found knowledge of roofing and offered follow-up work experience before they leave school with roofing contractors near them.

Roof work experience

The events have been held in Leeds, Cardiff and the last event is being held today (17 October) in Llandudno. So far, 18 young people have requested work experience, including four girls.

Denise Cherry, YIRTG Group Training Officer said, “Promoting the SAP Roof Slating and Tiling programme has proved very popular and we are delighted with its success. I hope that companies will now support that achievement by helping to foster this interest in roofing and offering young people their first step into entering a career in the industry.”

More youngsters are expected to ask for roofing work experience and the roof training groups are now seeking additional placements with roofing contractors in Yorkshire and North and South Wales.

During their work experience week, young people will gain construction awareness at a programme training centre learning about site safety and working at height for the first day. They will then spend two days on site in a workshop or warehouse setting learning about different types of roofs and materials, as well as roof details such as hips and valleys. Their week will conclude with two days of interactive sessions about basic roofing skills and safety, before being signposted to their next step of enrolling on the SAP course.

To find out more, contact Lesley Hughes at WNRTG on 07817 641984 or email Lesley.Hughes@wnrtg.co.uk.