Meet Ben
My Journey Through a Level 2 Slating and Tiling Apprenticeship at Leeds College of Building.
Hello, I’m Ben, and I’m a Roofer. I studied a Level 2 Slating and Tiling Apprenticeship at Leeds College of Building.
Before I began my apprenticeship journey, I was already working with Roofers as I was a Labourer on a construction site. The company I worked for offered me an apprenticeship with them as I was enjoying salting and tiling. I was more than happy to go back to college and study this course, to develop my skills and knowledge and be fully qualified.
During the course, I covered a wide range of topics, including how to cut and format tiles, and working with various tools and materials, both hand and power tools. I also learned about building regulations and how to slate different types of roofs, from residential homes to re-roofing public buildings. I spent 3 out of my 4-day work week at college. I enjoyed the variety of subjects and the hands-on experience in the college workshops. It prepared me well as I was assessed in the workshops and also on-site by an assessor or tutor.
A typical work day in my life looks like this:
- I load materials in the morning and collect job sheets from the office before heading off to the job.
- I work with a team of Roofers and Labourers, and the size of the team varies depending on the type and size of the job. It is typically 2 Roofers and 1 Labourer.
- My main job role is stripping and re-tiling roofs.
If I could give students any advice for their college journey it would be:
- Ask what is involved in the course. A great way to do this is attend an open day or have a look on the website.
- Find out what you need to complete during the course e.g. Exams, assessments, practical’s, classroom study, extra reading, work experience etc.
- What opportunities are available once I have completed the course?
For anyone looking to peruse this course, you can find out more information here.
