Roofing

Training
The Basic Competency Programme
a Major Investment in the UK Roofing Workforce
Livia Williams, Nfrc Head of Training & Roofing Industry Alliance Training Manager
The Roofing Industry Alliance has launched a major three-year investment with
CITB, which will support over 5000 roofing operatives to undertake formalised
manufacturer training.
Through the Basic Competency Programme (BCP) roofers will be able to apply for
a red, experienced worker CSCS card (valid for three years) and go on to achieve a
Level 2 NVQ roofing qualification. This is a collaborative project which brings
together four roofing federations: The National Federation of Roofing Contractors
(NFRC), Single Ply Roofing Federations (SPRA), Liquid Roofing Waterproofing
Association (LRWA) and the Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors
(FTMRC) and coordinated by the Roofing Industry Alliance (RIA).
For the first time, the vital contribution that manufacturers play in training the
roofing industry is being formally recognised. The BCP is formalising
manufacturers’ training and links it to a nationally recognised roofing NVQ
qualification.
The programme supports training, competencies and qualifications via the
approved BCP manufacturer training in all roofing disciplines: flat, metal and
pitched roofing.
Livia Williams, NFRC Head of Training and Roofing Industry Alliance Training
Manager said: “ We believe that the BCP could provide a solution to some of the
top strategic priorities of the roofing sector in relation to the increasing problems
of apprenticeships, skills shortage, skills gaps, standards of work and access to
specialist training. The BCP will enable roofing contractors in all regions to
access the right training more locally and achieve a multi-skilled and qualified
workforce. This should lead to rising project standards and increased availability
of a skilled and qualified workforce – ultimately helping to increase industry
growth and productivity.”
CPA Skills 2015 Report
The Construction Product Association (CPA) has carried out detailed research:
CPA Skills 2015 Report, which shows that the manufacturers and distributors of
Who are the approved BCP Manufacturers?
construction products run thousands of training
programmes for builders and tradespeople who install their
products. The report concluded that an opportunity existed
to put that training on a formal footing with nationally
recognised qualifications. And the opportunity is huge -
the report shows, for example, that the CPA’s largest
corporate members train on average 21,108 people on 3,523
courses per year.
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