Russell Roof Tiles recently welcomed inspection managers from the National House Building Council (NHBC) in an interactive, hands-on training session, as part of helping address the skills shortage in the UK housebuilding industry.
Thirteen NHBC managers visited the Russell Roof Tiles’ Burton upon Trent factory, a valuable opportunity for the workforce to learn about roof tile fixing, accessories and site compliance. NHBC has invested £100million in a national network of 12 multi-skill training hubs, facilities which are set to train 3,000 apprentices each year in key trades such as bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry.
The visit began with a tour of the production facility, observing how Russell Roof Tiles are manufactured, the quality control measures in place and new technologies. NHBC also gained practical experience at the firm’s new Training & Innovation Hub, a new £100,000 facility that is a dedicated site for research and development, focusing on evaluating and refining the technical aspects of roofing solutions.
This was followed by a presentation from the Russell Roof Tiles’ expert in-house technical team, which provided a deeper overview of product testing and best practice installation methods. The session created a constructive environment for both sides to ask questions and engage on key topics relating to roof covering installations.
Nick Carey, head of inspection for the Central Region at NHBC, said: “It was helpful to understand how Russell Roof Tiles maintains consistency, traceability and quality across such a high-volume operation. During our visit, we experienced the full product journey, from manufacture, design and testing, through to installation on site.”
Mark Parsons, technical director at Russell Roof Tiles, said: “We are very pleased to have welcomed NHBC to our facility in Burton on Trent. It has been great to support them with skills training and provide both the technical deep dive and practical sessions for working with our range of tiles, fittings and accessories.”
