What qualifications do roofers have?

Roofing is a skilled (and potentially dangerous) occupation, so it is not surprising that there are a range of qualifications available to roofers.

Many roofers will start at college with a foundation level training course that will involve practical education and skill development. 

Alternatively, for those lucky enough to find a company willing to train newcomers, roofers can start their professional life as an apprentice, learning their skills from qualified roofers as they work.

As roofing is essentially a practical skill, roofers are not required to have any formal qualification to do the work.   Those that do choose to get qualified are most likely to under the National Vocational Qualifications Scheme.  A level one NVQ means that your roofer has basic roofing skills and the qualification levels go up to Level five. There are different NVQ's available including Roofing Occupations and Cladding Occupations and Mastic Asphalt.

Most roofers who have opted to be trained under the NVQ Scheme will probably reach Level Two or Three, which represents a good level of craftsmanship and skill.