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Clarke Roofing recently had the privilege of representing the roofing industry at the Palace of Westminster, where our Director and Flat Roofing Manager, Josh Clarke, gave evidence on the critical skills shortage facing UK construction.
On 16 September 2025, Josh appeared before the Business and Trade Committee alongside Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of CITB, David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, and Sarah Maclean CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Skills England.
The numbers are stark. The industry needs 47,860 additional workers per year from 2025-2029, that's 239,300 extra workers over five years. Yet there are already 35,000 unfilled vacancies, and that rate is rising faster than any other sector. With Government targets to build 1.5 million homes and massive retrofit programmes, the committee wanted to know if the construction industry could deliver.
When asked about skills shortages on the frontline, Josh was frank: "We are a medium-sized business based on the south coast in Eastbourne. We are a third-generation company. We really struggle with getting young blood into the industry."
The average age of a roofer is 50. As Josh told the committee: "That does not work for the game that we are in."
With 55 employees and another 65 subcontractors, we could take on another 15 operatives tomorrow. But when asked whether the Government's ambitious building targets were achievable with today's workforce, Josh's answer was honest: "Honestly, no. It is not going to happen."
One of the biggest barriers Josh highlighted was the lack of local training provision. For our apprentices to access roofing training, they have to travel from Eastbourne to Leytonstone in east London, a daunting prospect for a 16-year-old.
"When you are talking to someone at an apprenticeship roadshow or workshop, and you say, 'Your son or daughter is going to go off to Leytonstone,' straightaway there is a barrier," Josh explained.
The situation worsened when a training centre in Littlehampton closed because it couldn't attract sufficient numbers. This lack of local provision is creating unnecessary barriers for young people wanting to enter the profession.
Our work presents unique challenges. As Josh explained: "The work we do specialises in heritage and that sort of thing, so it is not new build work. A lot of our best guys have been trained from the generations above and passed down stuff that you cannot learn at college. It has to be out on site."While 10 apprentices might help a new build site, they're of little use to a heritage roofing business without experienced craftspeople to mentor them. The skills required for listed buildings take years to develop and must be learned on-site from those who've done it for decades.As Josh put it simply: "By 10 o'clock, you know" whether you're suited to roofing work.
A significant issue Josh raised was how schools view construction careers. We've been working with local schools for six months, bringing in hands-on roofing training. The uptake has been fantastic.
But there's a perception problem. As Josh told the committee about a recent school visit: "Halfway through I said, 'Why have we got these children?', 'They're not great academically, so we thought they'd excel here.' That is your perception. The schools have got it wrong as well."
Josh posed a crucial question: "If someone is really good at English and maths, why can they not be a roofer? Why can they not be a painter, decorator or electrician?" Schools are treating construction as a fallback for underperforming students, rather than as a legitimate career choice for capable young people.
Perhaps the most frustrating issue Josh raised was around training funding. While the committee discussed the need for more training, Josh highlighted a contradiction: "My issue at the moment is that the funding to do the training has been cut, I believe. We are now worse off. We are going to be putting our hand in our pocket more to pay for the training for the guys. We are all going, 'Train, train, train,' while you have just cut our funding."
The Committee Chair's response: "That sounds like a problem."
Josh's reply: "Yes. It does not make sense at all."
We're not just identifying problems, we're working on solutions. For the past four months, Clarke Roofing has been working directly with East Sussex College to establish local roofing training provision in Eastbourne or somewhere nearby.
As Josh told the committee: "In four months, we have found a tutor who is willing to do that side of things. Essentially, everything is there. It is just finding the funds and running the numbers to make sure we get the people through the door to make it work."
If successful, this would be transformative for the entire south-east, removing the barrier that stops young people from entering the profession simply because training is too far away.
While Josh supported some streamlining of training, he also raised an important caution when the committee discussed significantly shortening courses: "There is a risk in shortening the courses. If you bring everything in and make it quicker, two things might happen. The quality is going to go down, and accidents are going to go up, because everyone is rushing through the system and they do not have the knowledge that they should have."
Safety and quality must remain paramount, even as we work to speed up the training process.
We're immensely grateful to Gray Gibson and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors for making this opportunity possible. The NFRC's advocacy ensures that voices like ours are heard at the highest levels of government.
The Business and Trade Committee will produce a report with recommendations for the government based on this evidence. These recommendations can directly influence policy, funding decisions, and support for small businesses.
The session highlighted several key issues that need addressing. Local training provision must be expanded so young people don't face geographical barriers. School perceptions of construction careers need to change, this is a profession for capable, ambitious young people. Training funding needs to support, not hinder, businesses trying to develop the next generation. We need flexibility in training delivery while maintaining quality and safety standards. And we need genuine partnership between colleges, employers, and local communities to create sustainable training provision.
As a third-generation family business, we understand the importance of investing in the next generation. We'll continue working with East Sussex College to establish local training provision, engaging with schools to change perceptions, and training apprentices despite the challenges.
Josh's testimony gave committee members a clear picture of life on the frontline for small construction businesses. The challenges are real, but so are the solutions, if we have the will and resources to implement them.
We're proud to have played our part in ensuring that the reality facing businesses like ours is understood at the highest levels of government.