The government and training associations nationwide seem to agree that the UK’s flat roofing industry needs to invest more in apprenticeships to address the current labour shortage. Recent statistics justify their unity on the matter. Published in 2023 by UK construction market analyst, Glenigan, the ‘State of the Industry’ highlighted how the skills shortage impacted the building sector. In terms of flat roofing, 22% of firms surveyed reported a shortfall in built-up felters, with 16% and 12% of companies revealing a shortage of single-ply installers, and liquid-applied roofers respectively.
The seriousness of roofing’s personnel shortage was further highlighted in a study by IronmongeryDirect. It revealed roofers had the longest waiting times – due to a shortage of skilled operatives – following a survey of UK workers of the most in-demand trades. On average, it was found customers faced a nine-week wait to employ a roofer, compared to five weeks for the services of a carpenter, builder or electrician.
Training is something I’m very passionate about having spent four years as an apprentice flat roofer as part of my industry induction. Since then, as a tradesperson, I’d estimate I’ve trained about 30 apprentices during my time ‘on the tools’. The outcome for each trainee was largely tied to their employer’s aspirations. Successful candidates mostly worked for businesses that saw them as the industry’s future. For the not-so successful trainees, their training experience was limited by their employees’ need for part-trained cheap labour.
As branch manager for a leading commercial roofing contractor and in a position of some influence, I can now see the challenges at play in instigating training programmes that are crucial to creating a profitable and sustainable flat roofing industry. I’m of the belief that greater togetherness between sector stakeholders is essential to this outcome.
Long-Term Training Benefits Stifled by Short-Term Profit Gains
In my seven years at BriggsAmasco, I’ve experienced first-hand how apprentices nationwide are provided with excellent development opportunities. The company’s training programme is expertly devised and long-established but we continue to strive to improve and focus our offering for trainees in the appropriate areas. At BriggsAmaco, there’s a belief system in place to ensure flat roofing apprentices have the resources and ‘live environment’ experiences to reach the very top of their profession.
Unfortunately, the training we provide is an exception to the industry norm. There just aren’t enough apprentices coming through the contractor ranks. Too many companies are driven by a culture of short-termism, meaning they would rather employ cheap, unskilled labour than invest time and money nurturing untapped talent.
The short-termism culture has wider-reaching consequences. The tendering of government and private building contracts, for example, is often decided solely on cost. In such cases, companies that invest their time, money and effort in industry-recognised training schemes are significantly disadvantaged. Their need to achieve higher profit margins due to their trainee commitments invariably prices them out of government tenders, despite them doing the right thing by investing in development programmes that will ultimately benefit the industry’s push for more skilled labour.
Tender Rewards for Trainee Investment?
Companies are not legislated to invest in training and apprenticeships. So, perhaps government incentives are the answer to the roofing skills shortage. In respect of the tendering process, could contract awards favour companies that have committed a higher percentage of profits to in-house apprentice training schemes? This would not only encourage more contractors to start traineeships of their own, it would ease the poaching issue.
For too long, too many companies – not minded to invest in their own apprentice schemes – have simply snapped up the services of trainees recently qualified elsewhere. In such instances, the lure of more money, rather than improved career opportunities, is the pull. Thus is the way of the world, but it does seem a little imbalanced that one contractor profits from another’s years of trainee investment and development.
BriggsAmasco invests heavily to develop our employees’ and sub-contractors’ roofing knowledge and skills via a range of accredited learning programmes that lead to a recognised industry qualification. Eight of our apprentices achieved an NVQ or SVQ qualification in 2023, which is essential to meeting our core performance values: safety, competency and quality.
Aside from extremely valuable benefits in terms of personal development and day-to-day workplace performance, investing in traineeships can boost employers in ways they might not expect. Young recruits bring a new dynamic to the workplace. They can also bring new ideas that act as a re-energising force for older, more experienced colleagues. That’s why more companies should be minded to invest in traineeships. Motivated personnel are a pathway to business success, and a well-constructed learning programme is ideal for ensuring new arrivals feel inspired, supported and valued.
Now is the time to separate business rivalries and focus on facing the ever-increasing skills shortage – an issue that negatively impacts the roofing industry in so many ways. There is a golden opportunity to train for a profession that is valued the world over, offers excellent financial reward, personal fulfilment, a lifetime of amazing experiences and lifelong friendships.
It needs shouting from the rooftops – this is a career worth training for. Therefore, the means must be provided to make it happen.
By Allan Doris, BriggsAmasco Glasgow Branch Manager