NFRC Pushes for Greater Roofing Inclusion in Post-16 Pathways

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking feedback on the planned design and implementation of the new pathways for 16 to 19-year-olds announced in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, including: 

• a third, vocational pathway at level 3: creating V Level qualifications. V Levels will sit alongside A levels and T Levels and will offer a vocational alternative to these academic and technical routes
• two new pathways at level 2: simplifying the current offer and providing a clear line of sight to both further study at level 3 and skilled employment through the Further Study pathway and Occupational pathway

NFRC answered several questions the government asked, and you can see our responses below.  

3. Which subjects do you think are most appropriate for delivery through V Levels?

Please provide evidence of relevance to employment sectors or further study.

V Levels are well suited to broad, sector-based subjects where applied learning can introduce students to a range of occupations before they make a firm commitment to a specific career. In this context, Construction and the Built Environment is an important subject to deliver through V Levels.

Within a Construction V Level, it is essential that roofing is explicitly recognised and meaningfully embedded. National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is not calling for a standalone “Roofing V Level”, but for roofing to be clearly visible to students as a major employment route within construction for the following reasons.

First, roofing is a significant construction employment sector. In 2025, there were 42,460 roofers in the UK, out of a skilled trades and site-based workforce of 1,308,890, meaning that around 1 in every 31 skilled tradespeople is a roofer (3.24%) according to the CITB’s workforce estimates. Additionally, every building requires a roof, making the trade an essential factor for meeting any government’s built environment goals. Given this scale, roofing should be clearly signalled within any Construction V Level to reflect the reality of the labour market and to ensure students are exposed to a representative range of construction careers.

Second, roofing aligns closely with the aims of V Levels. V Levels are intended for students who prefer practical learning, are interested in a sector rather than a single occupation, and want to keep their options open before progressing into a T Level, apprenticeship or further technical study. Roofing is a highly practical trade, but one that students rarely encounter through formal education routes. Exposure through a Construction V Level would help students understand what roofing involves before committing to a more specialised pathway.

Third, early exposure is particularly important for roofing because awareness is currently low. Many young people enter roofing only through accidental or informal exposure, often after making other training choices. This can result in poor-fit apprenticeships and early drop-out. Including roofing within a Construction V Level would improve informed choice, strengthen occupational fit, and support better progression outcomes. Roofing businesses belonging to the NFRC frequently report that new entrants lack basic on-site readiness and understanding of construction safety and building composition; a Construction V Level with visible roofing content could help address this gap.  “Limited awareness of what a career in the roofing industry entails leading to low interest and / or high attrition when expectations are not met” was the second most cited issue by NFRC Members in Summer 2025 when discussing challenges recruiting and retaining new talent (cited by 43%).

Fourth, roofing offers clear progression routes that align with the objectives of V Levels. Students could progress from a Construction V Level into a roofing apprenticeship, roofing diploma, or further technical qualifications.

Finally, the case for inclusion is reinforced by acute and well-evidenced workforce need. The UK roofing sector faces persistent recruitment and retention challenges. According to NFRC research in Summer of 2025, 52% of roofing businesses report recruitment difficulties and 65% say skills shortages are already restricting the amount of work they can take on. Demographic data from ONS shows an ageing workforce, with fewer than 15% of roofers under the age of 25 and more than half of the workforce aged 30–59.

Looking ahead, workforce forecasts point to a significant shortfall in roofing skills. The CITB estimates that an additional 2,520 roofers will be needed across the UK between 2025 and 2029. The Construction Skills Mission Board projects even higher demand, forecasting a requirement for 3,760 additional roofers by 2029. On top of this, the transition to net zero is expected to create further demand for between 1,000 and 2,500 additional roofers between 2023 and 2030.

Evidence suggests that existing domestic training routes will not be sufficient to meet this demand. On current trends, NFRC estimates that the UK will produce only around 1,550 new roofers between 2025 and 2029, leaving a substantial and growing workforce gap.

NFRC strongly supports Construction and the Built Environment as a V Level subject if roofing is clearly embedded within its scope. Explicit inclusion would improve visibility of a trade critical to delivering the built environment, support informed progression choices, and contribute to addressing a nationally significant skills shortage.

4. How could current information, advice and guidance be improved or what new guidelines or measures should be developed to ensure that students are informed about subject selection and combinations?

Information, advice and guidance (IAG) must move beyond high-level descriptions of the construction sector and provide students with a clearer, more realistic understanding of the breadth of roles within it. Careers advice often treats construction as a single pathway and tends to focus on the largest and most familiar trades, such as bricklaying and carpentry. This approach limits awareness of other critical trades, including roofing, and reduces students’ ability to make informed choices about subject combinations and progression routes.

IAG must place greater emphasis on sector breadth, particularly if V Levels are genuinely designed to support exploration before specialisation. For a Construction V Level, guidance materials should explicitly reference a range of trades and progression routes within construction, rather than presenting it as a narrow or generic option. The trades signalled towards should be dictated by local skills needs, which can be highlighted by LSIPs within England.

Earlier engagement is also essential. Students’ perceptions of construction careers are often formed well before post-16 decision points, yet meaningful exposure to practical, hands-on work is not given enough focus in many schools’ curriculums. Employer-led engagement can transform outcomes. For over 20 years, NFRC Member J Wright Roofing Ltd has worked with Bulwell Academy and, since 2023, Newark Academy in Nottingham to develop GCSE-level construction pathways aligned directly to industry needs. These programmes prepare students for construction apprenticeships and have achieved completion rates of 94–96% through to NVQ level 2, far exceeding typical construction retention and achievement rates. Jason Wright, the business owner, has employed 74 apprentices through this route, demonstrating the impact of sustained, early exposure combined with clear progression pathways.

This model provides a strong blueprint for improving IAG nationally. It shows the value of: engaging employers directly in curriculum design and delivery; introducing practical, tactile learning earlier in the education system; and clearly linking pre-16 learning to post-16 subject choices and realistic career outcomes.

Despite their success, these initiatives have received no central or local government funding to date, relying instead on employer, school trust and trade association support. Local Skills Improvement Plans provide a clear opportunity to scale and sustain such approaches, ensuring that employer-led engagement is embedded within local IAG systems rather than remaining dependent on individual businesses.

Finally, there must be genuine parity of esteem between academic and vocational routes within IAG. Guidance should actively challenge outdated perceptions of construction as low-skill or short-term work and instead highlight the long-term, future-proofed (Ai-proofed) nature of skilled trades such as roofing, including their role in housing delivery, building safety and the transition to net zero.

5. What factors should we consider when creating T Levels where there are currently no level 3 occupational standards? Please explain your answer.

Where T Levels are being developed in subjects that do not currently have level 3 occupational standards, it will be important to take a pragmatic and employer-led approach to ensure qualifications remain credible, deliverable and aligned to real progression routes.

First, the absence of a level 3 occupational standard should not be interpreted as a lack of employer demand or progression opportunity. In some sectors, including roofing, where occupational competence is well-defined and recognised by employers, even if not yet codified as a level 3 Skills England standard. This reflects how certain occupations structure progression in practice, rather than an absence of skilled roles at level 3. When creating new T Levels, government should therefore consider the full landscape of occupational standards, not solely those already embedded within apprenticeship routes.

Second, careful consideration should be given to the transferability of core knowledge and skills. In construction-related sectors, many competencies are common across trades and progression routes. Health and safety, understanding of building composition, working at height principles, materials awareness and basic site practice are foundational skills that are transferable across most level 2 and 3 apprenticeships. A T Level core built around these shared competencies can provide strong progression value even where occupation-specific standards are still emerging.

Employer confidence and deliverability must be prioritised, especially now with employer confidence battered by NICs and national living wage increase with employment rights bill measures on the horizon. Employers need to understand how a new T Level fits within existing training routes and workforce needs, while providers must be confident that the qualification can be delivered at scale. Involving employers and representative sector bodies early in the design process will be critical to ensuring that new T Levels remain grounded in occupational reality and support progression, rather than adding further complexity to the system.

Question 6. How can the two pathways, and the two qualifications, be designed to make these transitions as easy as possible?

To support smooth transitions between the Further Study and Occupational pathways, and between level 2 and level 3 provision, the system should be designed around shared foundations, early exposure, and, credible and well-signalled progression routes that do not lead to learners thinking a level 2 roofing apprenticeship, or any other RQF level two apprenticeship, is a step backwards from a level 3 T-level. 

In construction-related routes, transitions can be supported by front-loading transferable knowledge and skills that are common across construction trades. Within a Construction V Level and aligned Foundation and Occupational Certificates, early content should focus on core competencies such as health and safety, understanding of building composition (including roofing systems), materials awareness, basic measurement and setting-out, and principles of site working. These skills are relevant across construction occupations and allow learners to move between pathways without repeating learning or losing momentum. 

This shared core should be complemented by engaging, applied practical activity that enables learners to explore different parts of the sector. Practical learning is essential for maintaining engagement and confidence, particularly for learners who may later transition between the Further Study and Occupational pathways as their interests or readiness develop. 

Early and meaningful exposure to real working environments is also key. Structured, supervised engagement with a range of construction contexts, including housebuilding, infrastructure, and repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI), helps learners make informed decisions about progression and occupational fit. This exposure does not require unsafe placements, but well-designed site visits and work-related learning that reflect real industry practice. 

A critical factor for ease of transition is how progression is perceived by learners. In construction, and particularly in craft trades such as roofing, competence and employability matter more to employers than the academic hierarchy implied by qualification levels. Roofing apprenticeships are a high-quality, employer-led route into skilled work, but they currently sit at RQF Level 2 in England (level 3 in Scotland). This creates a risk surrounding learning perception. 

Learners who complete a Level 2 Occupational Certificate, or especially a Level 3 V Level, may perceive a Level 2 roofing apprenticeship as a sideways move or a step backwards, even where it represents the most appropriate and high-quality route into skilled employment for that individual. If unaddressed, this perception could unintentionally disincentivise entry into critical trades such as roofing, despite strong labour market demand. These perception issues must also be considered with parents, careers advisors, and other influential figures.  

To mitigate this risk, progression pathways must be clearly explained and positively framed. Guidance materials should explicitly recognise that, in craft trades, apprenticeships represent progression in occupational competence rather than academic level. Strong signalling from DfE, providers and employers that entry into a roofing apprenticeship following a V Level or Occupational Certificate is a valid and valued progression route will be essential. Parties should also lean into the benefits of earning money during apprenticeships and advertise opportunities to quickly advance in a career.  

Finally, transitions will be easier if qualifications are designed with clear equivalence, recognition of prior learning, and flexible entry points. Employers and providers should be able to see how knowledge and skills gained through Foundation Certificates or V Levels map directly onto apprenticeship requirements, ensuring learners are not penalised for changing direction as their goals become clearer. 

Question 7. In taking this approach, are there any risks or issues we need to be aware of?

There is a risk that the intended benefits of this approach could be undermined by how English and maths are timetabled and delivered in practice. 

In many colleges, English and maths are currently front-loaded within study programmes. This is often driven by funding and performance incentives rather than learner need. For students on further study pathways, who are frequently enrolled precisely because they did not engage successfully with English and/or maths at school, front-loading these subjects can be counterproductive. It can reduce early engagement, increase disengagement and attrition, and undermine confidence before students have had the opportunity to reconnect with learning through vocational content. 

8. Should any additional criteria be considered when selecting the subjects suitable to become a Foundation Certificate? If yes, what are they and why?

Foundation Certificate subjects should reflect the full breadth of construction delivery models, including off-site and manufacturing-led construction, to avoid reinforcing a narrow view of the sector. Off-site construction roles (e.g. surveyors, estimators, non-construction professional and technical office-based staff), which comprise approximately 50% of roles according to CITB’s 2025 estimates, must be considered within the construction subject, or given its own.  

We expect the Occupational pathway to last 2 years, in line with current legislation. However, we recognise that some students may have legitimate reasons for leaving the pathway early, such as progressing to a work-based training programme or moving on to a level 3 qualification.

10. Are there any other circumstances you believe would justify a student stepping off the pathway before completing the full 2 years? Please provide examples and explain why these should be considered.

Yes. In construction-related sectors, progression into paid employment within the industry, even if it is not yet a formal apprenticeship, should be recognised as a legitimate reason for a student to step off the Occupational pathway before completing the full two years. 

For example, in roofing and other construction trades, progression into a paid labourer role with a reputable employer can provide earlier and more meaningful exposure to the working environment than continued classroom-based study. These roles allow young people to develop practical skills, site awareness, work discipline and health and safety competence in real conditions, which are difficult to replicate fully in an education setting. 

In many cases, such roles act as a stepping stone to an apprenticeship, either with the same employer or elsewhere in the sector. Even where employment does not immediately lead to further formal training, the experience gained can improve occupational fit, reduce the likelihood of poor apprenticeship matches later, and support more informed progression decisions. 

Recognising progression into paid employment as a valid exit point would also reflect how the construction labour market operates in practice. Employers often recruit promising young people when project opportunities arise, rather than strictly in line with academic cycles. Allowing flexibility in the pathway would support responsiveness to employer demand while maintaining the overall intent of the Occupational pathway to prepare students for sustainable employment.

Question 11. We are proposing that DfE sets introductory core content for Occupational Certificates which is shared across multiple related qualifications. Do you agree with this approach?

Yes, we agree with this approach, provided the shared introductory core is built around genuinely transferable core construction competencies and is complemented by explicit, visible occupational pathways, including roofing. 

A shared, nationally set core for construction-related Occupational Certificates would support consistency, quality and progression if executed successfully. These should include health, safety and welfare; compliance with productive working practices; the safe moving, handling and storage of resources; and fire safety in buildings. Aligning core content to recognised construction competency frameworks would ensure relevance for employers, clarity for learners, and smoother transitions between qualifications and into apprenticeships. 

However, while a shared core is welcome, it is critical that roofing as a trade is not left implicit or loosely covered under generic “construction”. Roofing is a major, safety-critical construction occupation that is already underpinned by occupational standards. It should therefore be explicitly included as a distinct Occupational Certificate option, rather than assumed to be covered indirectly. 

The case for this is clear. Roofing represents around 42,460 workers within a skilled trades and site-based workforce of 1,308,890, meaning approximately 1 in every 31 construction workers (3.24%) was a roofer in 2024. The sector faces chronic skills shortages, regional variation in demand, and an ageing workforce. NFRC data from summer 2025 found that 52% of roofing businesses reported recruitment difficulties and 65% say skills shortages are already restricting the work they can take on. Demographic data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that fewer than 15% of roofers are under 25, weakening the replacement pipeline and compromising the sector’s ability to meet future built environment demands. 

Looking ahead, the Construction Industry Training Board estimates that the UK will need an additional 2,520 roofers between 2025 and 2029, with further demand arising from building safety remediation and net zero delivery. Current domestic training routes are not on track to meet this need. 

Early, structured exposure is particularly important in roofing. Many young people do not understand what roofing involves and only enter the trade through accidental or late exposure, increasing the risk of poor occupational fit and raising attrition rates. Explicit inclusion of roofing within construction Occupational Certificates would allow students to understand the role safely and realistically, improve work readiness, and support clearer progression into roofing apprenticeships, further technical qualifications or employment. 

Skills England’s evaluation of roofing as an occupation facing shortages, but not in demand, is fundamentally incorrect given traditional recruitment pathways for roofers (word of mouth, social media) are not captured by vacancy measurement methodologies. This does not align with the direct experience of the majority of our Members across the UK, even during a period of construction output slowdown.  

Finally, the shared core must be delivered in an engaging and applied way. Students on the Occupational pathway typically respond best to practical learning that clearly connects to real work. If designed and delivered well, a shared core combined with visible, named occupational routes such as roofing would improve engagement, strengthen employer confidence, and provide a robust platform for progression. 

17. What non-qualification activities do you think are successful at supporting vocational students to engage best in their course content in order to achieve in their course and progress to their stated destination?

For vocational students, particularly in construction-related pathways, the most effective non-qualification activities are those that provide proper, structured exposure to the construction industry and clearly connect classroom learning to real work. LSIPs and employer networks should be relied upon to coordinate these activities, as well as reaching out to local and national trade associations.  

23. Are there elements of V Levels or Foundation and Occupational Certificates that are required in your view to increase accessibility or improve outcomes for those with SEND? [Free text box]

Yes. To increase accessibility and improve outcomes for learners with SEND or NEETs, V Levels and Foundation and Occupational Certificates should place strong emphasis on applied learning, clear occupational pathways, and visible progression into real employment sectors. Roofing seems to be a particularly popular route for these groups, as you will see below. 

Through the England Construction Opportunities mentorship programme delivered by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors over the last three years, 277 roofing apprentices have progressed into training and employment. Of these, 13.7% disclosed a disability and 69.6% were previously not in education, employment or training (NEET). Worth noting that the majority of these disabilities are likely various neurodivergences. This indicates that roofing, when presented through accessible, practical routes, with onboarding support, can be highly effective in engaging learners who may struggle in more academic or abstract learning environments. 

Strong links with employers and supported exposure to real working environments can significantly improve outcomes for learners with SEND or NEETs. Structured site visits, supported work experience and employer-led engagement can help at-risk learners contextualise their learning, develop confidence and transition more successfully into employment or apprenticeships.