NFRC Members Give Evidence for Government’s Small Business Strategy

On Tuesday 16 September, Joshua Clarke of Clarke Roofing Southern Ltd gave evidence to the Business and Trade Committee, highlighting the roofing industry’s ongoing skills and recruitment challenges. His testimony brought national attention to the difficulties faced by SMEs in accessing training and attracting new talent into the sector. 

Committee Chair Liam Byrne MP was particularly struck by the lack of local training opportunities for apprentices in Eastbourne, who must travel all the way to Leytonstone, London, to access provision. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Wales also has no training facilities for roofing apprenticeships, and many other regions across the UK experience similar problems with access. 

NFRC Members consistently stress the importance of showcasing construction’s career opportunities to students from an early age. This point was echoed by David Hughes CBE, CEO of the Association of Colleges, during the same evidence session, where he called for early school engagement to be included in Local Skills Improvement Plans. Josh demonstrated how impactful such initiatives can be when they are implemented at a local level by highlighting the well-received work his business is doing in schools to raise awareness, but he emphasised, “we can’t do it alone”. 

Josh also raised concerns about inconsistent training funding. He warned that the abrupt closure of access to the CITB Skills & Training Fund after 30 September risks disrupting the training plans of many businesses.  

The session also covered the role of Skills England, the government’s new executive agency. NFRC had previously raised concerns with the Committee about the lack of SME representation on Skills England’s board, and this concern was quoted in a question to Skills England. The Committee agreed that Skills England must prioritise the needs of smaller businesses, and Skills England acknowledged this, announcing plans to hold regional meetings across the UK specifically to hear from SMEs. 

This was the second time in recent months that an NFRC Member has appeared before the Committee. In June, Paul Brain, Director of Ashcroft Services Ltd and Chair of NFRC’s South West Committee, spoke powerfully about the impact of late payment on SMEs and the urgent need for reform. He also raised the important role that skilled trades will play in the future, particularly as artificial intelligence begins to reduce the number of traditional graduate jobs. Paul evidence supported his evidence with reference to NFRC’s quarterly survey data, which provided a strong foundation for his arguments. 

The Business and Trade Committee will now use this evidence to help shape its Small Business Strategy, which will be presented to government in the coming months. The government will be required to respond to the Committee’s proposals. 

During each session, the Committee engaged closely with the evidence NFRC Members presented, with several MPs expressing surprise at the scale of the challenges faced. These reactions underlined the critical importance of ensuring SMEs have a strong voice in shaping government policy. 

NFRC will continue to advocate on behalf of members to ensure the voice of roofing contractors is heard loud and clear, and we will keep you updated as the government’s strategy develops.