Education is a lifelong journey. It starts long before kindergarten and continues well beyond high school graduation. Wisdom comes from understanding that learning and personal growth are never-ending processes.

The world is constantly developing and growing more complex, so is the roofing industry. Fostering well-educated roofers requires workplace training. Training and education is pivotal in addressing the roofing industry’s labor gap and ensuring continued economic growth. Training and education bridges the gap between what your roofing workforce knows and what they need to know to drive your organization forward.

The many benefits of workplace training include:

  • Increased employee confidence, job satisfaction and career mobility (career advancement or different career paths)
  • Fewer errors, more consistent quality, standardized procedures
  • Faster technology adoption, better market responsiveness, competitive advantage
  • Reduced regulatory risks, improved workplace safety, consistent standards

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) has been at the forefront of training and education for the roofing industry. With content for various experience levels from beginners to leaders, their training and education classes address diverse topics such as installation and safety training, workforce development, leadership development, certifications and design essentials. NRCA also offers custom classes companies can build to address their business’ specific needs, allowing them to choose the content and timing of classes.

Most recently, NRCA has partnered with The GLO Group LLC, Phoenix, to offer a six-course virtual training program designed to help executives develop field supervisors into confident bilingual leaders; boost communication to improve workplace culture for multicultural teams; and build trust to position their companies as employers of choice among Spanish-speaking communities.

Speaking of education, this issue’s project theme is just that. When Colgate University’s Africana, Latin, Asian and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center suffered roof damage, it turned out (among other things) the existing slate and copper roofing and sheet metal had to be removed down to the wood deck. A new elementary school in Clarksville, Tennessee, required 112,000 square feet of roofing on 14 different roof areas, with several different shapes and slopes. The University of Chicago needed roof renovations on its existing structures.

These are just three of the education projects we feature this month that required well-educated and well-trained workers to complete them successfully. I hope there is something in each article that you may find educational and possibly learn from.