Are you ready to be The 2022 BMI Apprentice of the Year?

Are you ready to be The 2022 BMI Apprentice of the Year? 

The annual Apprentice of the Year competition is part of our commitment to support and nurture the future of roofing as we seek to find the UK’s most promising apprentices and future leaders in roofing. 

We’re looking for roofing apprentices from across the country to come together at the annual Apprentice of the Year competition and test their skills in front of a panel of industry judges. The winner’s will receive a generous cash prize of £1000 and the prestigious title of Apprentice of Year, as well as three years’ worth of training support from the BMI Academy. 

Last year, following an exciting and challenging two days, roofing apprentices Jamie Scott, of Bourne-based Sandall Roofing, and Brandon McGrail-Manning, of SPV Group, Walsall, were declared winners of the 2021 BMI Apprentice of the Year competition. Jamie, who trains at Leeds College of Building, was the winner of the Pitched Roofing category, while Juniper Training student Brandon won the Flat Roofing category. 

“Winning the BMI Apprentice of the Year means a lot to me, I work with Building Futures which is a study programme which helps out young people who haven’t had the best of backgrounds, I want to bring hope to them and show them anyone can do it!” says Brandon.

“Taking part in the Apprentice of the Year has really opened my eyes to the opportunities Roofing and Construction can offer me. It has also shown me what I can achieve. I have met a variety of people from all different backgrounds throughout the competition, and all of them achieving so much has inspired me to push myself even harder and further. I have made some lifelong friends from all over the country, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us all” says Jamie.

The competition opens for entries on March 7th and judges will be looking at several aspects of their apprenticeship, from roofing skills to teamwork, with a focus on business acumen, presentation and marketing skills. The competition is open to apprentices nationwide in both pitched and flat roofing. The closing date for entries is April 29th. 

Successful applicants will be invited to the Apprentice of the Year final on the 20th and 21st July 2022 at the BMI Academy in Gloucestershire, this year’s theme is “Empower” and we are looking for apprentices who can demonstrate how they empower themselves and others by playing an active role across the roofing community and beyond. Finalists will be coached during the event on a range of topics from presentation skills and social media for business through to estimating and making technical assessments.  

Delighted by the success of the competition in previous years, Mat Woodyatt, Technical Training Manager at BMI notes: “We’re committed to supporting apprentices and the future of roofing, through the work at BMI Academy – our training platform which is open to roofers and roofing industry professionals at all stages of their career – as well as our continued support of colleges and training providers across the country. BMI Apprentice of the Year is our way to celebrate apprentices by encouraging them to showcase and develop their skills and explore where their career in roofing can take them – we’re really looking forward to welcoming this year’s finalists to the BMI Academy in July.”

Entries can be made online and applicants will be asked to answer a series of prompts to highlight their commitment to their roofing career, the industry as a whole, as well as some further questions to showcase motivation, drive and future leadership abilities. 

Enter the competition now!