Cabinet secretary visits students at Wales’ first roofing apprenticeship

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government has visited a Welsh college to meet apprentices and industry partners at the college’s roofing training facility.

During the visit to the Bridgend College’s Pencoed Campus, the Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant, toured the Construction Academy and met with apprentices, employers and college leaders.

The visit also marked the launch of Wales’s first roofing apprenticeship pathway led by the College and developed in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors.

The new roofing course means Welsh apprentices will no longer need to travel to the Midlands for specialist training, while strengthening regional capability to meet the growing demands of decarbonisation retrofit and essential building programmes.

The Cabinet Secretary said: “I was delighted to visit Bridgend College and celebrate the launch of Wales’s first roofing apprenticeship pathway — a real milestone that means Welsh apprentices no longer have to travel to the Midlands for this specialist training.

“We have now exceeded our target of delivering 100,000 apprenticeship opportunities by the end of this Senedd term. That’s 100,000 chances for people to earn while they learn, and 100,000 opportunities for employers to grow the skilled workforce they need.

“I recently announced £98 million for the next round of our Optimised Retrofit Programme, which creates local jobs, strengthens low-carbon supply chains, and gives apprentices the chance to build their skills while improving homes in their own communities.”

Bridgend College currently supports almost 1,000 apprentices across a wide range of sectors, with construction at the heart of its provision.

Denise Brookes-Cooze, Head of Work Based Learning at Bridgend College  added: “Apprenticeships connect learners and employers while delivering sustainable skills for communities across the region.

“Launching Wales’ first Roof Slating and Tiling Apprenticeship, in partnership with CITB, demonstrates how our industry-led provision supports learners, employers and the long-term sustainability of the construction sector.”