Back in November last year, we reported on a free masterclass for bricklayers that was being offered by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and how an equivalent opportunity would soon be made available for roofers.

This month, the HBF have released that opportunity so, if improving your roofing skills is on your ‘to do’ list, read on.

hands reaching into centre of an image showing items relating to learning

Thousands of brickies and roofers across England, Wales and Scotland are set to benefit from a major new fully-funded training initiative that aims to upskill the workforce and address common defects.

As part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to building quality homes and with CITB funding, the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) ‘Home Building Skills Partnership’ has begun delivering a series of brickwork masterclasses and will be rolling out brand-new roofing masterclasses soon. Find out more about these free training opportunities in this week’s blog.

Following repeated calls from leaders within the construction industry, the Home Office has finally announced it is easing visa restrictions for brickies, roofers and chippies from overseas by adding them to the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL).

This list is designed to help sectors where employers are struggling to fill vacancies and the move to include more construction trades has been welcomed by the Construction Leadership Council as a solution to addressing immediate skills shortages in the UK. Find out more in this week’s quick-read blog.

Anyone involved in the roofing business will know that the job simply could not be done without frequently coming into contact with and using a range of products that are regulated by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSSH) Assessment.

While most dangers can be avoided by following the correct handling procedures, accidents do occur in the industry and so it’s really important that roofers know what to do in the event of a problem. Here’s a reminder of the appropriate First Aid measures required in relation to some of the commonly used COSSH substances.