Apprentice of the Year: A winner's view

Each year, the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition brings together the very best emerging talent in the roofing industry and provides a platform for apprentices to showcase and develop their skills. That’s why we know how valuable apprenticeships are, not just for the future of our industry, but also for the many contractors across the country who provide opportunities for people to enter the industry.

But there’s more value to be recognised – particularly for the talented people embarking on their careers in roofing via apprenticeships. One apprentice – Euan Forsyth at Mithril Roofing – is a leading example of this, so we caught up with him to find out the impact of his win at Apprentice of the Year 2023.

Tell us about your experience of the Apprentice of the Year competition.

“I was really impressed by the whole set-up of the competition. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but you get to try your hand at lots of different things over the two days.

“I’ve always been quite a shy person and have been a bit nervous speaking to customers on jobs, but I feel much more confident after the competition. The way the competition was structured with the different tasks gave me the opportunity to speak and answer questions, ultimately helping me to get my knowledge across in a better way.

“The competition really helped me to build my knowledge and confidence.”

What attracted you to roofing?

“I first got into roofing a couple of years ago when I was looking for a career that would be more mentally challenging. My wife’s friend runs a joinery company and I was able to do some work for them, getting my head down and grafting. From there, I got a van and transitioned into roofing.

“My employer, Aiden, has been instrumental in building my expertise – I really do owe him everything. My first day working with Aiden was on a slating job, and the way he taught me allowed me to get started and learn in my own way. He’d show me how to do something, then give me the tools to get stuck in. He’d always be there to keep an eye on how I was getting on, but he doesn’t tell you the answers and gets you to learn for yourself by practising and reading installation guides.

“Before taking on the apprenticeship, Mithril wanted to give me a taste of what a career in roofing could look like, so I worked with them for a year before starting at college. That was time for me to make sure I liked the work, and it gave me some experience as a labourer, so I already knew a lot starting college.”

What does a typical day look like for you?

“Life is really exciting right now. My wife and I are expecting a baby in July, and I’m on track to have my apprenticeship finished by June.

“On the job, I get to do a bit of everything. We’ve been working on a factory for the last two or three months, and that’s involved single ply, slating, brickwork and some lead working. I run a few jobs myself on the side, too – little jobs like slate repairs. A friend of mine is a joiner so we’ll sometimes price jobs together and get a bit more out of it.”

What does the future hold?

“I’ve been working with my bosses since they started Mithril Roofing and I’m committed to them and the work they’re doing. They’re brilliant to work with and they’ve got a big vision for the future, so it’s exciting times.

“They’ve told me that if I want to stay with them, I don’t just have to stick to roofing and I could be off the tools within 10 years and into management. There’s a lot of time before then, though, so it’s all about building my knowledge as much as I can. Part of that will be taking on some training through the BMI Academy, and I’m looking into what’s on offer there.”