Clay roof tile manufacturers call for more skilled tilers

The Clay Roof Tile Council (CRTC) is urging the roofing industry to recruit and retain more skilled tilers.

Currently there are approximately 46,000 registered roofers in the marketplace, but the industry needs to attract another 380,000 new recruits over the next five years to ensure that it provides a skilled workforce to meet the growing demand in construction projects.

CRTC chairman, Neil Tobin, said: "It is essential that the industry recognises that this growing shortage represents a serious problem and takes proactive steps to encourage more young people into apprenticeships before the problem reaches a critical stage. Roof tiling is a specialist trade, which requires technical and practical training.

"Without sufficient trainees entering the trade, there is a real risk that untrained people will come into the industry and this will bring potential hazards. This in turn could cause irreparable damage to the reputation of the roofing industry," added Tobin.

However, the main challenge facing the industry is attracting people to consider roofing as a professional trade.

"Young people don't realise that roofing can be a rewarding profession and the average salary for a qualified roofer is anything between £25,000 to £35,000 per year. This can increase with experience, so being a roofer can be a financially rewarding profession," said Tobin.