By Darrell Warren, manager of the Roofing Contracts Division at Leicester-based company Norman & Underwood.

The skills shortage crisis hampering our industry is well documented with roofing companies nationally struggling to attract the craftsmen of the future.

As a well-established family roofing and glazing company which has been in existence for more than 175 years, Norman & Underwood is a firm believer in apprenticeships with training an integral part of our business philosophy.

Over the years we have fostered strong links with local schools and colleges and have established a good working relationship with influential organisations such as SPAB, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

However, in spite of our efforts, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract roofing and glazing apprentices – particularly when even more young people are being encouraged to stay on at school and try for a university place.

The Government wants more school leavers than ever before to go to university, and many parents, too, share this ambition for their children. But, we must ask, is higher education necessarily the right career path for everyone?

Many families have to make financial sacrifices to send their children to university – but there is no guarantee graduates will walk into a well-paid job in their chosen field once they’ve gained their degree. Added to that, there is the burden of having to pay off a student loan for several years after graduating.

Low pay is often cited as one of the reasons our industry has difficulty in recruiting trainees and it is true that apprentices do not earn a great deal. Young people – and their parents – need to take a longer term view, though, and consider the earning capacity apprentices can enjoy once they qualify and have some experience in their chosen craft.

We have all heard reports of plumbers commanding salaries of £50,000, and although some of these claims may be exaggerated there is no doubt that skilled craftspeople can make an extremely good living.

As for the early years, parents who would gladly fund their academically gifted children through sixth form college and university should be willing to extend the same financial and moral support to a more practically oriented son or daughter who opts instead for vocational training, such as an apprenticeship.

The crux of the problem lies not in trainee salary scales, but in the misconceptions which still exist regarding our industry. To make any headway we need to drastically change such perceptions so parents and teachers understand the true value of a craft apprenticeship.

Interestingly, virtually all the apprentices we take on have parents who come from a manufacturing or construction industry background rather than the white collar service industries.This would suggest that people with no experience of our sector do not consider it a viable option when their children are choosing a future career. What many people fail to realise though, is that a craft apprenticeship does offer the opportunity to pursue a white collar management role.

Almost all our divisional managers and directors started as apprentices with Norman & Underwood and have worked their way up through the ranks. In addition working for a company such as ours, which undertakes contracts on prestigious buildings in Britain and overseas, can offer a wonderful opportunity to travel the world.The job satisfaction our teams gain from working on historic buildings such as Salisbury Cathedral through to state of the art office blocks is immeasurable.

Today’s craft industries also call for high-tech skills as well as the more traditional ones passed down from generation to generation – a factor which should also be used to promote them to potential new recruits.

Car mechanic apprenticeships, for example, are now seen as an attractive career option by school leavers, thanks to the technological input required in modern motor manufacture.

At Norman & Underwood we believe in promoting our industry to potential employees while they are still quite young so we regularly offer eight weeks’ work experience to students aged 15.

Often students in their last year at school who don’t plan to go to university become disillusioned and lacking in focus, whereas younger students are more enthusiastic and keen to develop their practical skills.

Several former work experience trainees have gone on to join the company as a result of the insight they received into the roofing, glazing and stained glass sectors while still at school.

Few people these days can fail to have noticed that Britain is desperately short of skilled craftsmen such as plumbers, joiners and builders.

For the health of the economy – and the country’s future prosperity - it is vital industries such as ours receive the support of decision makers in Government and Education.

Companies can make a difference, though, by helping parents understand that a craft apprenticeship could well be a much better alternative to university for their children.