So you’re ready to start your career? Focused on learning the fundamental skills required to ground you for the next few decades in the trade? Excellent. For as long as people own buildings, home and property owners will depend on roofers, builders and other skilled tradespeople to keep their investment safe from harm and as high in value as possible. Here are a few key points for your journey as a roofing apprentice.
Choose the right qualification
And, it could be argued – the right education provider. Start your research by looking for local, reputable colleges that offer a qualification that employers will value, both during and after the apprenticeship. Avoid any spurious accreditation, and look for providers that have an excellent track record in guiding learners from the classroom, to full employment. Seetc.co.uk has a useful guide for the apprenticeships you can apply for, based on your educational achievements so far.
Identify the best company
While you’ll learn a great deal from an experienced tradesperson, you want to be sure that you’re treated professionally and with respect. Your inexperience doesn’t mean you have to settle for all the labor and none of the skill, so sniff out a company with a good reputation, either online or by talking to friends and family. Companies with a proven track record of quality craftsmanship, such as Findley Roofing & Building who are roofing contractors -Darlington and across the North East – are likely to have a worthwhile program for young roofers to follow during their apprenticeship.
Utterly nail the interview
Feasibly, you could actually end up with two interviews at the very least, before you get started. With one at the college and one with the employer, all the usual ‘good-interview-techniques’ should be followed. So dress smart and talk clearly (alongside all of the obvious stuff), but when you do meet your employer, be prepared to talk not only about yourself – but about them too. DMR Training recommends that to ensure your apprenticeship interview progresses positively, you must do some research into the company you’re interviewing with. Find out the age of the company, whether it’s family run, and see if you can find examples of their work or customer testimonials on Facebook, Yell, and the likes of Checkatrade. As well as being prepared for the interview, you can also reassure yourself that you’re talking to the company offering the best possible route into the trade.
Get ready to really start learning
And finally, just to ensure that you’re fully prepared for starting your apprenticeship, know that it may be a tough old slog, at times. Even if you’ve got some experience in the trade already, when you’re trying to apply your learning, impress an employer, and prove to yourself that you know what you’re doing – mistakes can and will happen. However, that’s why it’s called an apprenticeship. Even the most experienced roofer in the business will still be guilty of costly errors, from time to time, and you don’t learn how not to make them, without making the odd one as you go. Switching from the classroom to the scaffold won’t be easy, but it will be worth it – to make the most of the next few months and enjoy this exciting time in your life!