Russell Roof Tiles is supporting efforts to address the UK’s housebuilding skills shortage by investing in the next generation of roofing professionals.
The company has donated more than £6,000 worth of roof tiles and accessories to Construction College Midlands in King’s Norton, Birmingham. The contribution gives students access to a complete roofing system featuring modern products and materials currently used across the industry.
Construction College Midlands provides a wide range of construction training courses and qualifications, covering areas such as bricklaying, scaffolding and roofing. It supports apprentices from across the UK who go on to work for roofing contractors, many of which have existing relationships with Russell Roof Tiles.
As part of its ongoing commitment to the sector, Russell Roof Tiles also operates a specialist Training and Innovation Hub for professional contractors. The facility has been used for hands-on sessions, including a recent training event delivered in partnership with the National House Building Council.
Daniel Hancox, Corporate Sustainability & Development Director at Russell Roof Tiles, said: “We wanted to support Construction College Midlands and make a difference to today’s roofing workforce and the future generations. When visiting the site, the team highlighted their need for roofing materials and full roof compatible systems to demonstrate to the apprentices the importance of getting product choice right first time, and the correct way to use and install these products together.”
The donation removes the need for the college to purchase these materials itself, reducing pressure on limited budgets and allowing more funding to be directed towards improving facilities and enhancing the learning environment.
Arthur Jevons, Site Manager at Construction College Midlands, said: “We are delighted to receive the comprehensive roofing product package from Russell Roof Tiles. Donations such as this allow us to continue to train our apprentices to the very highest standard and support the UK’s rapid housebuilding rollout.”
The product package included the company’s Bute3 tile and accessories range, as well as natural range tiles, underlay and ridge tiles.
Russell Roof Tiles is an independent manufacturer of concrete roof tiles, supplying products to national housebuilders and major social housing and commercial developments. The company produces hundreds of thousands of tiles and related fittings each week for use on pitched roofs across the UK.