Competitors were tested on a multitude of subjects including practical demonstration, presentation, business planning, and technical skills.

Following a challenging and exciting two-day, pitched and flat roofing competition at the BMI Academy, the winners have been revealed.

Roofing apprentices Jamie Scott, of Bourne-based Sandall Roofing, and Brandon McGrail-Manning, of SPV Group, Walsall, reigned supreme at the 2021 BMI  Apprentice of the Year competition.

Scott, who trains at Leeds College of Building, was the winner of the Pitched Roofing category, while Juniper Training student McGrail-Manning won the Flat Roofing category.

Both receive a £1,000 prize, a bespoke trophy 3D printed at the BMI Technical Centre and three years’ worth of training support from the BMI Academy.

“Winning the BMI Apprentice of the Year means a lot to me. I work with Building Futures which is a study programme which helps out young people who haven’t had the best of backgrounds and I want to bring hope to them and show them anyone can do it," said McGrail-Manning .

Scott added: “Taking part in the Apprentice of the Year has really opened my eyes to the opportunities roofing and construction can offer me. It has also shown me what I can achieve. I have met a variety of people from all different backgrounds throughout the competition, and all of them achieving so much has inspired me to push myself even harder and further."

The competition was steep, with all 13 pitched and flat roofing finalists demonstrating consistency and excellence in many areas during the event. Competitors were tested on a multitude of subjects including practical demonstration, presentation, business planning, and technical skills.

In addition to the winners, two further apprentices were recognised for their consistent high standards across all tasks, awarded Highly Commended in the competition. They were Keeley Howell of Sussex Asphalte (Flat Roofing) and Kai Hunt-Beech of J. Martin & Sons, Corsham (Pitched Roofing).

The competition culminated with the BMI Apprentice of the Year awards dinner where all of the finalists, their tutors, employers, judges and industry stakeholders joined to celebrate the winners of the competition and the future of roofing.

Andy King, head judge and former President of the NFRC, said: “We really missed the competition during the pandemic, and it was great to welcome the finalists back to the BMI Academy this month. The calibre of finalists was very high indeed, and the winners did amazingly well to shine through in what was possibly the strongest field yet."