Helping young people get into roofing

Youth unemployment and the skills shortage facing the construction industry present the perfect opportunity for manufacturers, training providers and roofing contractors to bridge the gap, gain much-needed manpower and help change lives at the same time.

Marley, in partnership with Bauder, South and City College Birmingham and the Department for Work and Pensions, embarked on a journey to offer fully funded training and work experience to residents in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.

We are already making progress, having held the introductory presentation this September at the Bordesley Green Campus. There, we and our partner organisations explained how roofing contractors and prospective learners can support each other through bootcamp schemes that prepare young people to work on site, contribute to the team and follow all relevant health and safety procedures. The event was a success, and Marley is looking forward to the next stages ahead, most notably the start of the training sessions in the first quarter of 2027.

The programme comprises 4 weeks of training and 2 weeks of work experience, packing the most important topics into an intense bundle of theoretical learning, demonstrations and practical application of skills to ensure that the young people enrolled get maximum value out of their dedication and commitment.

They will also undertake a range of tests to provide reassurance to the parties involved that learners meet the standards required to obtain their CSCS cards and Level 1 Health & Safety in Construction qualification.

On top of equipping them with knowledge and skills related to pitched & flat roofing as well as the installation of solar PV panels, we will help them gain confidence for interviews through CV writing workshops, sessions explaining professional behaviour on site, communication and teamwork, mock interviews and rounds of practical consolidation to review their skills and, most importantly, their understanding of PPE checks and daily site routines in order to improve safety on site.

The intensive training programme, delivered through a tried-and-tested approach combining training provided by manufacturers and training centres, was designed to make the learners interview-ready and provide results not just for the learners and contractors involved, but also for the local community by helping to pass on valuable skills and ensuring the trades not only survive but thrive.

For us at Marley, social value is about the practical, not merely the ideal. From local initiatives to systematic process changes, what matters most is making a tangible, positive impact on people's lives.

If you would like to get involved in a future edition of the initiative, please send us an email at info@marley.co.uk