Training and Innovation to Help Keep Britain Building

Leading UK roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles is helping to develop the next generation of skilled roofers by supporting a brand-new industry training academy in Stafford, reinforcing its commitment to tackling the construction skills shortage through investment in both people and product innovation.

The manufacturer has donated roofing products free of charge to the newly opened Liberty Roofing Academy, marking Liberty’s 25th anniversary and providing apprentices with the opportunity to gain essential hands-on experience using leading industry-standard materials. To date, 21 apprentices are being trained, including learning on live sites; the aim is to double that by the end of 2027.

Liberty has designed its new programme to run from 18 to 24 months. The initial 12 to 20 weeks are spent training full-time at the Academy before apprentices move onto live sites with tutor support. Dedicated roof rigs are being used so that students can work on a roof from start to finish, starting with setting out, underlay and battens, before laying tiles and working through details such as valleys, verges, ridges, ventilation and leadwork. The aim is for them to become competent new-build roof tilers by the end of the programme.

James Patrick, Director, Liberty Roofing Group said, “When you’re learning to roof, you need time to do a detail, take it apart and do it again. That’s hard to give someone when a site is under pressure to get plots finished. At the new Liberty Roofing Academy, we can give them that time, so when they go out on site, they know what a good job looks like and why the details and specifications matter. Having Russell Roof Tiles support us with materials our apprentices are likely to use on site makes that training more useful from day one. Apprentices get to work with products they’re likely to see on site. They can learn how the tile and its associated fittings work together, understand the fixing requirements and get used to checking the finished specification.”

He added, “We’ve spent 25 years building Liberty, and I want us to do our bit to bring the next generation of roofers through.”

Russell Roof Tiles support comes as the roofing sector continues to face a shortage of skilled workers, driven by an ageing workforce, recruitment challenges and continued demand for new homes. According to the latest report by Barbour ABI on behalf of NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors), 58 per cent of contractors said skill shortages were restricting the work they could accept.

This latest initiative follows a recent donation of roofing products to a local college and forms part of Russell Roof Tiles’ wider commitment to support sector training, develop core skills and encourage more young people into construction careers.

James Pendleton, Regional Sales Director at Russell Roof Tiles, comments, “We very much believe that the industry needs to address these challenges with a two-pronged approach: investing in the skills of the future workforce whilst developing innovative products to support contractors by creating products to make installation simpler and more efficient. That’s why we are delighted to support Liberty Roofing’s new initiative and commend them for investing in the next generation of skilled contractors.”

Over the past five years, Russell Roof Tiles has invested £35 million in its operations, including a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and the development of its award-winning Bute3® roof tile. Developed in collaboration with installers, Bute3® combines the traditional appearance of three plain tiles with an innovative triple-interlocking design, delivering a traditional aesthetic while significantly speeding up installation – helping roofing contractors improve productivity.

With installation speeds up to 33 per cent faster than traditional small-format tiles, the product demonstrates how innovation can help alleviate some of the pressures associated with labour shortages, while maintaining the quality and appearance demanded by developers, planners and architects.

Earlier in the year, the firm donated over £6,000 of roof tiles and accessories to Construction College Midlands in Birmingham, to enable its students to access the latest innovative products and materials on the market. The specialist college offers various construction training courses and qualifications to a defined and industry-agreed standard, from bricklaying to scaffolding and roofing. It currently supports apprentices from across the UK into the roofing contractor businesses, many of which work with Russell Roof Tiles.

As a leader in the industry, Russell Roof Tiles remains committed to future-proofing the sector and investing in skills training and innovation, and it has opened its own Training & Innovation Hub. Over the last 12 months, the firm has also been working with the industry body National House Building Council (NHBC), supporting its national network of 12 multi-skill training hubs.