Apprentice of the Year

The annual BMI 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.
BMI Apprentice of the Year 2024 banner

Build New Horizons with the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition

BMI is committed to supporting and nurturing the future of roofing, and we show this commitment by our investment into training at the BMI Academy, as well as holding the BMI Apprentice of the Year event to provide invaluable experience and life skills for roofing apprentices from all over the UK.

Each year we look 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 winners receive a generous cash prize of £1,000 and the prestigious title of Apprentice of Year, in either Flat Roofing or Pitched Roofing, as well as three years’ worth of training support from the BMI Academy.

The competition opens for entries in February (during National Apprenticeship Week) and the judges look 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.

Successful applicants will be invited to the Apprentice of the Year final, held each year in the summer at the BMI Academy in Gloucestershire.

The theme changes each year, with the 2024 theme being Building New Horizons. Up to 20 finalists are shortlisted each year and we ask entrants to demonstrate how their experiences have shaped their learning requirements throughout their career, how they achieved learning a skill and how they have worked with others to develop their skill set.

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2024

2024

Leah Stewart, BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year for Pitched Roofing 2024, Fife College, Roof & Fibre

Robbie Gosden BMI Icopal Apprentice of the Year for Flat Roofing 2024, National Construction College, Taylor Roofs

Samuel Jinks, Highly Commended in Pitched Roofing 2024, Leeds College of Building, Dalton Roofing

Tommy Lee McGee, Highly Commended in Flat Roofing 2024, Simian, Sussex Asphalte

2024 Apprentice of the Year winners
Robbie Gosden and Leah Stewart. Winners of the BMI Apprentice of the Year 2024 competition.

Apprentice of the Year Hall of Fame

Apprentice of the Year Hall of Fame

Click here to visit the Apprentice of the Year Hall of Fame, celebrating all of our previous winners of the competition since 2017.

Hall of Fame
Apprentice of the Year Hall of Fame

Why enter the BMI Apprentice of the Year Competition?

BMI Apprentice ofTheYear2023 -462 Web

From learning skills for life to winning cash prizes, here is why you should apply to be the next BMI Apprentice of the Year.

Previous winners stories

Joe Potts, Highly Commended at BMI Apprentice of the Year 2023

Ahead of this year’s Apprentice of the Year competition, we caught up with Joe Potts from Complete Roofing Systems (CRS) - who was Highly Commended at Apprentice of the Year 2023 - to find out his thoughts on the competition and what his ambitions are for the future.

6 June 2024
Euan Forsyth, from Mithril Roofing, winner of BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year 2023, at work on the roof

Almost a year on from being crowned BMI Redland Apprentice of the Year 2023 in Pitched Roofing, we caught up with Euan Forsyth to get his view on the competition, what inspires him and what the future has in store.

10 April 2024
Charlie Plant, Sussex Asphalte, BMI Icopal Apprentice of the Year in Flat Roofing 2023

How a roofing apprenticeship unlocked career potential. Charlie Plant, winner of BMI Icopal Apprentice of the Year in Flat Roofing 2023, reflects. Apprenticeships are growing in almost every industry – and it’s no surprise, given they can be the key that unlocks an individuals’ potential.

5 February 2024
Apprentice of the year winners 2022

BMI UK & Ireland are proud to announce the winners of the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition as Steel Sweatland of RSM Roofing and Malachi Wilkes of Rio Asphalt & Paving Company. After a challenging and exciting two-day competition, Steel and Malachi were crowned winners of the 2022 BMI Apprentice of the Year.

22 July 2022
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Apprentice of the Year 2021 Video

The BMI Apprentice of the Year competition returned for 2021, marking another exciting, challenging and activity-rich two-day event that secures industry skills, inspires the future workforce and contributes to a brighter future for the wider construction industry.

17 November 2021
ford-steps-up

Two years ago Matt Ford won the BMI Apprentice of the Year for pitched roofing, a competition that taught him skills he still values today. Roofing Today editor Claire Griffiths caught up with him on site in Leeds.

7 October 2021
on-top-of-his-game

After winning the BMI Apprentice of the Year in 2017, semi-pro footballer Joe Stradling is still scoring with success both in football and in roofing. RCI caught up with him on a roof in Frome, Somerset.

14 October 2021
a-knight-on-the-tiles

Since featuring on our very first front cover, Tom Knight – Highly Commended in the BMI Apprentice of the Year 2017 – has continued to have great success in his roofing career... Total Contractor met up with him on site near Truro for a chat.

21 October 2021

More information

BMI UK & Ireland are proud to announce the judges for this year’s BMI Apprentice of the Year Competition, which takes place on 24th and 25th of July at the BMI Academy.

Building new horizons for the future of roofing: BMI Apprentice of the Year 2024 judges announced

Think you or your roofing apprentice has what it takes to be this year’s BMI Apprentice of the Year? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re working in pitched or flat roofing, the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition provides the perfect platform to demonstrate your skills and enthusiasm for the industry.

Open for entries: BMI Apprentice of the Year 2024

How a roofing apprenticeship unlocked career potential. Charlie Plant, winner of BMI Icopal Apprentice of the Year in Flat Roofing 2023, reflects. Apprenticeships are growing in almost every industry – and it’s no surprise, given they can be the key that unlocks an individuals’ potential.

My experience as an apprentice

We provide first class training and application support at our BMI Academy with both practical hands-on training programmes and courses through our e-learning platform.

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