(L-R) Thomas Arnout at the NCTS Hoddesdon centre; Didier Breton with the trainees; and Didier at the centre
There is certainly an international flavour going on at the National Construction Training Services (NCTS) Hoddesdon centre with the arrival of two French tutors to boost the delivery of lead and hard metals courses.
Didier Breton and Thomas Arnout are playing an increasingly vital role in delivering training since NCTS managing director Nigel Johnston met them through mutual colleagues. “They are both well respected in our industry and after initial discussions I persuaded them to start assisting with our hard metals training courses,” he said.
Both Didier and Tom, as he is known over here, began their roofing careers in France. Didier began his apprenticeship in roofing in the 1980s, and as was the custom in France, he travelled around the country learning different skills in different regions, until nine years later he arrived in England to train in leadwork with a company in Maidstone.
He explained: “I stayed with them for around six months and then they asked me to help with some copperwork. One job led to another, and then I met a girl….the rest is history, and I settled down in the area with her and our son.
Tom, on the other hand, already had some roofing knowledge before leaving school as his uncle was a roofer. He chose a training pathway in France which meant he didn’t have to travel round the country learning each individual skill, and concentrated on the heritage sector. He might have never left France if it had not been for his girlfriend who wanted to teach French in England, so they upped sticks in 2015, came to the Maidstone area and are now both settled here leading successful careers and bringing up their young daughter.
Coincidentally the two men might never have met if it had not been for Tom searching for some soldering tips on Facebook. The processes are somewhat different in the two countries and Tom sought advice from a French group. Didier answered his post and they soon discovered that they lived just 20 minutes from each other. And what’s more, they also found out that they had attended the same school – although not at the same time – in France!
Since then they have remained in close contact with each other, with Tom regarded by many as a ‘mini Didier’, while Tom speaking of Didier as the ‘zinc god’. Both men are self-employed, and Didier’s son Richard is also a roofer, having initially served his apprenticeship with his dad.
Interestingly enough, zinc is generally the preferred metal to lead in France, which is why both men have been keen to learn more skills in the latter. In France Tom worked on roofs using only slates or zinc/copper accessories, and sometimes ornamental zinc/copper in the heritage sector. At the same time his heritage expertise offered many opportunities, such as replacing the lead gutters on a large chateau in Nantes before he moved to England.
Didier and Tom have recently completed and been awarded the Heritage Level 3 Hard Metals qualification and are working to becoming qualified assessors – through NCTS of course, with Nigel as mentor – and gaining further nationally-recognised teaching qualifications.
Their increasing presence is beneficial to them and NCTS alike. Both Didier and Tom enjoy training enthusiastic students and Didier says that at his time of life, his body appreciates time at the training centre rather than out on site!
Needless to say, their English is excellent, having spent enough time in this country for them to pick up the specialist roofing vocabulary. However, Nigel is also impressed with their other qualities.
He said: “Their strengths are commitment and their professional approach to the training delivery.
“They have a wealth of knowledge and experience of working with metals and lead to the benefit of our students.
“Their involvement with our lead sheet and hard metals courses and qualification programme offers further flexibility with staffing and resources. And ultimately, this increases our course availability throughout the UK, at both our centres and out on site.”
For further information please visit www.ncts.org.uk, call 01992 801914 or email training@ncts.org.uk.
