The country’s best roofing apprentices are gearing up for a competition with a £1,000 prize and trophy.

BMI, which manufactures flat and pitched roofing systems, is sponsoring the two awards with its brands: the Redland Apprentice of the Year, for the best pitched roofing apprentice, and the Icopal Apprentice of the Year, for the best flat roofing apprentice.

Winners will receive a £1,000 cash prive and a goody-bag of roofing tools and materials. They will also receive support from the two brands at the group’s National Training Centre, plus a trophy.

The finalists were selected from building colleges all over England and Wales. They are:

Finalists for Pitched

• Jay Webster – Leeds College of Building

• Lewis Potts – Wales National Roof Training Group

• Richard Wilson and Joe Cook – CITB South (Erith)

• Cieran Peel-Price – Bolton College

• Luke Campbell and Phillip McBride – Eastern Region RTG

• Tom Thompson – South West RTG

• Jorden Condren – Newcastle College

Finalists for Flat

• Greg Thomas – South Devon College

• Nathan Dawson, Joe Burgess, Bradley Garner – Eastern Region RTG

• Kieran Forster, Joe Gladstone, Ross Adams, Oliver Drew, Mark Thompson – Newcastle College

The finalists will compete over two days at the BMI National Training Centre in Gloucestershire, where they will receive professional coaching on topics including business planning, presentation skills, and technical skills. They will then be assessed by a selection of leading figures in the roofing industry. There will also be ‘knowledge-sharing sessions’ where the finalists will have a chance to ask the judges questions and receive advice.

The two-day event will conclude with the Apprentice of the Year Awards Dinner, where the winners of the competition will be announced.

Mat Woodyatt, BMI Technical Training Manager, said: “These awards are part of a wider group strategy to recognise and reward those coming into the industry. We want to raise the appeal of roofing and motivate more youngsters and career-changers to get involved”.

Good luck to the finalists!