The Lothian region representative joined Scott Miller, chair of NFRC Scotland, and his team from Compass Roofing at a residential renovation project and saw the slating being carried out and spoke at length to the tradespeople and apprentices working on site.

During the visit to the site, Ms Webber was able to join the Compass Roofing team on the roof to see the work first-hand and was given an opportunity to try her hand at preparing the slates. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party MSP was shown the technique of dressing the slate, adding a chamfer to the edge of the slate, and then invited to carry out the process herself.

Ms Webber has been involved in highlighting the importance of traditional construction industry skills in Scotland for many years. This includes participating in construction skills demonstrations which have included roof slating by NFRC and attending a traditional building skills roundtable meeting in the parliament earlier this year.

Ms Webber has also supported the Build Your Future events in Edinburgh (which NFRC has been involved in delivering) and understands the need to engage with young people to help them make informed decisions about their career choices.

Following the site visit, Ms Webber said: “I want to thank Compass Roofing for the opportunity to see close up how they are supporting young people to enter into careers in the construction industry. The apprentices I met made it clear to me what a difference these opportunities have given them. Traditional skills such as roofing are essential, and we need to encourage more young people to consider apprenticeships if we are to tackle head on the industry’s need for skilled labour.”

Scott Miller said: “We were very grateful for Ms Webber’s continued support to raise the profile of the many and varied careers in construction and the wider importance of the industry. Apprentices play a crucial role in the roofing industry, contributing to the growth, sustainability, and quality of the sector. Apprenticeship recruitment is essential to meet the industry’s demand for skilled labour and we need to ensure that young people are aware of the potential positive careers in the industry.”