ENVELOPE
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Envelope The NFRC has already put 800 installers through the RoofCERT scheme
ROOFING SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR SPECIALIST COMPETENCE THE ROOFING SECTOR BELIEVES ITS COMPETENCY CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR OPERATIVES COULD BE A MODEL FOR OTHER SPECIALISTS AROUND CONSTRUCTION. WILL MANN REPORTS
“Roofing, like much of construction, faces challenges around skills shortages, industry image, attracting new talent, training and work quality. Put it all together, along with a lowest price culture, and that can drive poor behaviour from installers, as we know from Grenfell.” James Talman, CEO of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), is not afraid to speak plainly. But to his credit, the NFRC decided to do something about these concerns before the Grenfell tragedy. The federation had already begun working on an independently accredited verification scheme for roofer competence, and two years ago RoofCERT was launched in partnership with the CITB. Some 800 operatives have now been certified. Talman believes the scheme could be a model for other specialists to follow. “Dame Judith Hackitt urged construction to take action before the Building Safety Bill becomes law,” he says. “And the NFRC has actually done something – not many other sectors in construction can say that.” Among the 11 working groups set up following the Hackitt review to identify and develop competency frameworks and accreditation pathways, the NFRC sits on working group 2 (installers). It is chaired by Build UK and Stanhope’s project executive for offices, Nick Jarman, who praises the NFRC’s contribution. “The working group obviously welcomes a collaborative approach
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