On 13th – 15th November, the NEC in Birmingham was the location for the final of the national skills competition, SkillBuild.
The event which aims to promote excellence amongst the UK’s young craft people was further enhanced by being a part of the Skills Show, which also aims to inspire young people into changing the way they think about skills, training and apprenticeships.
The competition itself was comprised of ten categories of which roofing, managed by National Federation of Roofing Contractors Ltd (NFRC) and supported by the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), was one.
Being part of the Skills Show saw an unprecedented number of visitors to the three day competition, numbers well beyond what has been previously recorded for a SkillBuild final. The number of onlookers certainly gave the competitors a boost as they fought it out to become the champion of one of the four disciplines; Roof Slating and Tiling, Roof Sheeting and Cladding, Reinforced Bituminous Membrane and Single Ply. The winners and runners-up were as follows:
Roof Slating and Tiling was won by Connor Martin of Heritage Roofing, second place went to Benjamin Johnson of Roundhay Roofing and third place going to Chris Williams of G Timlin Roofing Ltd.
The Reinforced Bituminous Membrane was won by Jordan Lane of Lane Roofing Ltd, second place went to Craig Bonar of Corstorphine Roofing and Building Ltd and third went to Sebastian Rutkowski of Greenroof UK Ltd.
First in the Roof Sheeting and Cladding competition was Dean Wright of Retain Limited, second place went to Adrian Keywood of Associated Roofing and Maintenance Ltd and third went to Adam Taylor from Roof Linings and Cladding Ltd.
The Single ply competition was won by Jake Heath of Advanced Roofing Ltd, second to Ross Paterson of DCR Contracts Ltd and third place went to Ben Revitt of Briggs Amasco Ltd.
NFRC thanked all the competitors, judges and tutors for all of their hard work and dedication throughout the entire competition. In addition, the NFRC also thanked the colleges who helped facilitate the learning and hosting regional finals.
Whilst NFRC manages the roofing competition, it’s with the continued support of its manufacturing members who kindly provided materials. This year, this was provided by SIG Roofing and Roofline, Kingspan Insulated Panels, Marley Eternit Ltd, A Proctor Group Ltd, John Brash and Co. Limited, IKO PLC, Sika Sarnafil and Sievert UK.
The winner of the Roof Slating and Tiling discipline, Connor Martin will be presented with an additional prize by the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers, the Mason Elliott Award for Roof Tiling and Slating next year, at their annual awards.
Details for next year’s competition will be announced in the spring, along with details of the return of the bi-annual World Championship for Young Roofers, which will be taking place in Romania.
NFRC is the UK’s largest roofing trade association representing over 70% of the roofing industry by value. NFRC actively ensures that members offer high standards of workmanship and sound business practice through a strict code of practice and vetting procedure, including site inspections and adhering to the Government endorsed TrustMark standards. NFRC also offers training services, technical advice, and represents member interests to the wider construction industry and Government.
For more information about NFRC, please visit: www.nfrc.co.uk.
