Our country pages
Africa
South Africa
Europe
Albania | Shqipëria
Austria | Österreich
Belgium | BelgiqueBelgium | België
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bosna i Hercegovina
Bulgaria | България
Croatia | Hrvatska
Czechia | Česko
Denmark | Danmark
Estonia | Eesti
Finland | Suomi
France
Germany | Deutschland
Hungary | Magyarország
Ireland | Éire
Italy | Italia
Latvia | Latvija
Lithuania | Lietuva
Netherlands | Nederland
Norway | Norge
Poland | Polska
Portugal
Romania | România
Serbia | Srbija
Slovakia | Slovensko
Slovenia | Slovenija
Spain | España
Sweden | Sverige
Switzerland | SchweizSwitzerland | Suisse
Turkey | Türkiye
United KingdomSearch
Order a sample
You can order up to 3 free sample tiles.
We'll aim to deliver your sample order within 5-7 working days from your order date.
Apprentice of the Year 2022: Highlights from Another Tough Competition
The competition begins
Day one of the competition kicked off with the apprentices, tutors, and judges all gathering at BMI Academy eagerly awaiting the start.
“This competition really showcases the emerging talent in our industry and exposes the apprentices to the opportunities that a career in roofing can give them,” said Mat Woodyatt, Technical Training Manager at BMI Academy. “I’m excited to see what the apprentices gain from the competition to take into their careers moving forwards.”
With two days, four challenges, and plenty in-between, the apprentices were ready to be put to the test. From presentation skills to a challenge all about detecting defects on a roof, the judges were looking for apprentices who showcased a mix of both technical competence and confidence in themselves.
Previous Apprentice of the Year finalist and judge for the flat category, Cieran Peel-Price said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing the growth in the apprentices, you often find they’re quite nervous on day one and then throughout the competition they gain skills and confidence they can use throughout their careers.”
Jump to section
Our expert industry judges
Coming from all aspects of the industry, our judges had plenty of experience to pass onto the apprentices this year. Those with their eagle-eyes on our apprentices this year were:
Flat roofing judges:
Kay Rose: CEO of the Institute of Roofing
Hayley Reynolds: Director of Construction at Itech Roofworks Ltd
Cieran Peel-Price: Former Apprentice of the Year finalist
Matt Downs: Editor of Total Contractor Magazine
Pitched roofing judges:
Andy King: Managing Director of A.L. King Roofing Ltd
Sarah Burke: Health and Safety Manager at Mitie
Andy Rowlands: Managing Director of Rowlands Roofing Ltd
The finalists
The competition this year was as tough as ever, and that was thanks to our 13 finalists!
Joe Jamieson arriving to the competition on Wednesday said: “I’m looking forward to getting hands on with the challenges, learning about new systems in roofing and putting my skills to the test, as well as meeting the other apprentices and the judges”
Pitched Roofing Finalists
Steel Sweatland, training at South West Roofing Training Group and is an apprentice at RSM Roofing
Josh Cannicott, training at South Devon College and is an apprentice at Stormforce roofing
Jack Robson, training at Leeds College of Building and is an apprentice at RJ Collins Roofing
Niall Martin, training at Newcastle College and is an apprentice at John Flowers Ltd
Addison Myers, training at Wales National Roof Training Group and is an apprentice at Span Roofing
Joe Jamieson, training at Edinburgh College and is an apprentice at Avonside Roofing
Samuel Thompson, training at Newcastle College and is an apprentice at Evenii Limited
Chantel Daniels, training at Newcastle College and is an apprentice at Apex Roofing
Flat Roofing Finalists
Reilly Stow, training at Simian-risk in partnership with Langley and is an apprentice at Sussex Asphalt
Malachi Wilkes, training at Juniper Training and is an apprentice at Rio Asphalt
George Dalton, training at Simian-risk in partnership with Langley and is an apprentice at Sanderoof
Tom Dart, training at Greenlight Training and is an apprentice at Stormforce roofing
Callum Humphries, training at Simian-risk in partnership with Langley and is an apprentice at Crescent Roofing Ltd
Our Finalists
The challenges began on day one
The challenges began on day one
To start the competition the apprentices were given a talk by Fraser Biles, Sales Director at BMI UK & Ireland, about presentation skills.
When discussing the importance of these softer skills, Fraser said, “What the apprentices might not realise yet is they are going to become a trusted advisor to homeowners, clients, property portfolio owners or anyone else they are working for. So, they need to be confident in articulating the skills and the knowledge they have and the recommendations they are making.”
The apprentices then went onto the first two of their challenges, with a mix of both practical and softer skills being put to the test.
The final day
The final day
Day two saw the apprentices compete in the last two challenges, the defect test, and their final presentation. They also had the chance to listen to the judges talk about their personal career in roofing, how they got to where they are and offer advice to the apprentices.
Mat Woodyatt, added: “We have kicked off day two with the defect challenge, which is one of my favourite parts of the competition because it really brings together their presentation skills and their technical skills all in one. Then we have the individual presentations which is the pinnacle of the event, it gives the apprentices the chance to showcase themselves, their experiences, and their aspirations for the judges to question.”
Revealing the winners
The finalists, their tutors, employers, judges, and industry stakeholders all came together, not only to celebrate the winners, but the roofing industry as a whole. This year’s winners of the BMI Apprentice of the year competition are Steel Sweatland of RSM Roofing and Malachi Wilkes of Rio Asphalt & Paving Company.
Each winner receives a prize of £1000, a bespoke trophy 3D printed at the BMI Technical Centre, as well as three years’ worth of training support from the BMI Academy. Training could include an industry-leading mix of theory and practical courses, from RIBA-approved CPDs to installation and estimating coursing.
The competition was extremely tight this year, leading the judges to recognise two other finalists as Highly Commended in their categories. Reilly Stow from Simian Risk in partnership with Langley was awarded Highly Commended in the flat roofing category and Joe Jamieson who trains at Edinburgh College was awarded Highly Commended in the pitched roofing category.
Malachi Wilkes - Flat Roofing BMI Apprentice of the Year 2022
Malachi Wilkes - Flat Roofing BMI Apprentice of the Year 2022
“It’s fantastic to be a winner, it feels like I can inspire others in the business including those I work with at Rio and train with at Juniper Training. I’ve learnt so much from everyone here, and I’ve now got connections with the judges and the other finalists,” added Malachi.
Steel Sweatland - Pitched Roofing BMI Apprentice of the Year 2022
Steel Sweatland - Pitched Roofing BMI Apprentice of the Year 2022
“The competition was fierce, everyone deserved to win it! I really enjoyed the defect challenge, with the judges acting like real world customers. Winning Apprentice of the Year has given me the confidence I need to go far in my roofing career,” said Steel.
More than just a competition:
More than just a competition:
Apprentice of the Year is more than just a competition. It is an opportunity for the apprentices to meet other young roofers, learn from experts in the industry and network with influential stakeholders at industry associations and trade magazines. It also gives them the chance to develop their practical and softer skills.
Former winner, Matthew Ford, who also presented at this year’s competition said “Winning Apprentice of the Year meant a lot to me, I was able to gain experience and skills that I still use to this day, including presenting to clients and customers and communicating my practical knowledge to them in a way that they understand”
The future of roofing:
The future of roofing:
Like many industries, the roofing sector is experiencing a skills shortage. This is why we’re committed to supporting the future workforce through initiatives like Apprentice of the Year and our work at BMI Academy.
Follow along as we stay in touch with our apprentices to see where their roofing career takes them, from joining industry associations to advancing in their careers and more.
If you would like to benefit from the training and development available at the BMI Academy, or to find out more about the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition please click here.
