Midland Lead is supporting 17 colleges to help develop future skills within the construction and roofing industry.
The lead sheet manufacturer recently featured in The Parliamentary Review where it outlined its commitment to attracting new talent and developing a skilled labour force to help mitigate the skills shortage.
Midland Lead works with 17 colleges throughout the UK, providing practical advice, raw materials, machine cast lead, tools and ancillary products for free.
Its team of experts also visit many of the colleges, doing presentations on best in handling, storing and working with lead, and the company open its doors to its specialist manufacturing facilities so that students can see how lead is manufactured.
Midland Lead has built strong relationships with many construction colleges, including Leeds College of Building. David Mallory, lecturer and assessor in roof slate and tiling at LCB, has seen how working with manufacturers can have a positive effect on apprentices and students.
He said: “Unlike many building and roofing materials, working with lead is a skill that is developed through getting your hands on it and, thanks to Midland Lead supplying the materials and tools, we can offer people the freedom to work with it directly.
“As soon as our students get the opportunity to use lead it often becomes their product of choice throughout their career and they are proud to advocate using lead in the future.”
Lynn Street, Sales and Marketing Manager at Midland Lead, said: “I have been working within the roofing and construction industry for 20 years and it is clear that there is a real shortage of people choosing this industry as a career – no matter what age.
“We know how rewarding the construction industry can be to work in and it has a sustainable future offering many opportunities in the UK and overseas.”
