A new free online resource to address the chronic skill shortage in the roofing and cladding industry has been launched by the NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors).

The NFRC Roofing Careers Service is aimed at young people, career changers and employers and places roofing careers information, guidance and links to other useful resources in one central place.

This new service aims to tackle skill shortages both by attracting new people into the sector and helping employers to recruit. This comes following NFRC's State of the Roofing Industry Survey for Q3 2021, which found that over three quarters (77%) of roofing contractors were experiencing recruitment difficulties.

The Roofing Careers Service website is completely free to use and is open to both NFRC members and non-members alike, as well as young people, parents, teachers and career-switchers.

The Careers Service is split into the following categories:

• First steps on the ladder (getting in) – this is aimed at young people and their influencers, providing them with clear careers advice, encouragement and signposting.

• Holding the ladder for others (employers portal) – this is aimed at employers to help them to build their businesses, take on an apprentice or trainee, and recruit in an inclusive way.

Later in the year, two extra sections on career progression (Climbing the ladder) and leadership and other professional roles (Rooftops) will be launched.

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The Careers Service website includes real-life roofing career case studies and job profiles showing the breadth of roles in roofing from apprentices, to estimators, to Managing Directors.

For employers, the website includes many free resources, including job descriptions, basic financial planning templates, advice on employment contracts, links to grants and funding opportunities.

On top of the free online portal, NFRC members also have access to tailored support and advice on recruitment, employment and training.

Commenting on the launch of the Roofing Careers Service, NFRC Head of Careers, Ruth Scarrott, said: "Our industry has so many great career opportunities, and we want to showcase this—that is why we have created a dedicated Roofing Careers Service. Whilst there are already a plethora of resources on careers in construction, these are spread across lots of different places, which can make it confusing for a young person and are often not roofing specific.

"The Roofing Careers Service aims to tackle this by putting everything related to roofing careers in one central place that can be easily accessed. We will be working with the CITB and other strategic partners to join the dots for career pathways into our fantastic industry. Through this collaborative effort, we hope to attract many more young people to our sector.

"We know that over three quarters of roofing contractors are experiencing recruitment difficulties at this time, and that is why helping employers is an equally important part of the Roofing Careers Service. Whether it is supporting roofing contractors to grow their business, recruit the best talent, or ensure their teams are diverse and inclusive, the Roofing Careers Service is there to help."

She concluded: "I would like to thank everyone who has contributed so far to developing this new resource, including members, colleges, training providers and training groups. The Roofing Careers Service is an evolving resource, and we will regularly update it with new content. If you have any ideas or content you think should be included, please let us know."

Lucie Wright, Careers Strategy Manager at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) said: "Informing, inspiring and attracting new recruits is essential to ensuring the construction industry thrives—and NFRC's new Roofing Careers Service will form a valuable part of this alongside Go Construct.

"We continue to work with industry partners to provide careers support, advice and guidance on specialisms within the roofing sector."