Scottish contractor Forster Roofing has launched its own in-house skills academy to train the next generation of roofers in an effort to tackle the challenge faced by the construction industry’s skills shortage.
The new custom designed Forster Academy in Brechin, Angus opened in April 2015 to the first group of apprentices, who will hope to gain an NVQ qualification in roofing. The two-year programme combines on the job structured learning with contextualised off-site training.
The course has been designed specifically for new-build housing, and is supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council (SBATC).
John Forster, chairman of the Forster Group, said: “We are directly addressing the acute skills shortage in the construction industry by recruiting new entrants, up-skilling and qualifying our existing workforce. We recognise that our future success is dependent on investing in the skills of both our current and potential future employees.
“Next month we will be celebrating 25 years of delivering our roofing service to the Scottish house-build market, and we see our new skills academy as a key part of our future.”
Maureen Douglas, human resources director at Forster, added: “We are committed to taking on 24 apprentices over the next four years and are also preparing to launch a new specialist up-skilling programme which will re-qualify our entire workforce of 80 roofers to the ‘Forster Standard’.”
Forster Roofing says it is responsible for one in five of Scotland’s new homes and also offers contracting services for roof-integrated solar systems.
Mark Murphy from Irvine, one of the current group of apprentices, said: “The Forster apprenticeship programme works well because it covers such a wide range of roofing skills, including solar installation.”
Jordan Boyle from Falkirk, another of Forster’s apprentices, said: “It helps us become comfortable working with different products, preparing us to deal with the challenges we will face on-site. We also get to learn about other areas of the business including purchasing and surveying, helping us understand how projects come together.”
Lindsay Kemp, one of Forster’s trainers who has been roofing Scottish homes for over 25 years, said: “This new programme provides a fantastic opportunity for young people, equipping them with the necessary skills to make a successful career in roofing. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to train the next generation, driving forward industry quality and safety standards.”
