Roofing Apprenticeship: Case Study

Apprentice: Callum Humphries, 26
Employer: Crescent Roofing Ltd (Salford)
Apprenticeship: Waterproof Membrane Installer (previously known as the Flat Roofing Trailblazer)
Training Provider: Simian, Warrington, with Langley
Tutor: Craig Haddon

After working as a roofing labourer, Callum Humphries became certain the roofing trade is for him and he’s now on the way to becoming fully qualified for a lifetime career in the industry.

He says “I think it’s one of the best things you can do.  If I could have done roofing straight from school I would have done. It often gets passed over in schools, but it’s a good route for people to take.”

Callum first began work as a labourer with a bricklayer and then after some joinery, he finally worked with a friend who was a roofer.

“I really, really enjoyed the roofing,” Callum says. “I liked being outside, not so much in the winter, but in the summer time it’s a beautiful job sometimes.”

After joining the roofing team at Crescent Roofing Ltd in Salford, Greater Manchester, Callum was encouraged by boss, Daniel Parker to start a roofing apprenticeship, which he began in September 2021.

“My boss is the best one I’ve ever worked for”, says Callum. “He puts me up for doing lots of day courses and now the roofing apprenticeship.”

Flat Roofing Apprenticeship

Callum attends Simian one week every month training to become a qualified Waterproof Membrane Installer, with Langley Waterproofing delivering the course, and qualifying him to work on a range of different flat roof types.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to do the full roofing systems, the details, the setting out for scaled up roofs.

“As I learn something at Simian, I’m put on related jobs so that I can put what I’ve learned into practice. I’m currently working with the team on a big 20-week, three part felt job, removing the old roof then installing a vapour control layer, tapered insulation and top cap sheet.”

“I learn the best way to do each part at college. My tutor, Craig Haddon is brilliant, he’s so patient and knowledgeable.”

Callum says the skills he’s learning now will set him up for the rest of his career and are in demand across the country and the world.

“Sometimes people put roofing down, but I wouldn’t listen to them – roofing is a great career choice, there’s very good money to be made, you can progress really far,”

Although ‘learning while earning’ is a great option, Callum says that recording everything for his portfolio can be challenging: “It can be hard to take notes and get everything down after a full day at work”.

But his motivation comes from the pride he takes in his work, “It’s nice to look back at what you’ve created and know that it will be there for 25 years; that the next roofer who comes along will look at it and think whoever did that was a good tradesman.”

Once Callum has finished his apprenticeship, he’s already agreed with his employer to take on the next Site Manage Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) course so that he is qualified to be a site manager.

“It will open doors for supervisory and management roles and I think the best supervisors are the ones who have done the job previously. They tend to know what they’re talking about. If you start the right way, then the future will be bright for you.

“I can already see my career path at Crescent Roofing. They’re a really good company to work for and they value their employees.

“Sometimes people put roofing down, but I wouldn’t listen to them – roofing is a great career choice, there’s very good money to be made, you can progress really far,” Callum ends.

>>Read more on roofing apprenticeships in the news