Roofing industry unites to encourage the next generation at the 2024 SkillsUSA competition

By Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

The 2024 competition will include student contestants from 12 states competing to win the commercial roofing thermoplastic competition. 

The roofing industry has come together to help fund a larger Career Technical Education (CTE) program lead by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). With the first focus on SkillsUSA happening June 24-28, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia the industry has donated over $170,000 just for 2024 to help not only fund a roofing presence at SkillsUSA but also support continuing CTE activity. 

This year’s roofing exposure and student competition is expected to be greatly expanded from the 2023 national competition that featured competitors in the thermoplastic roofing competition from four states. The 2024 competition will include student contestants from 12 states competing to win the commercial roofing thermoplastic competition. 

Helping to make this possible is the Roofing Alliance, who demonstrated their commitment to fostering education and attracting new talent to the roofing industry by pledging $150,000 over three years to fund Career Technical Education (CTE) initiatives. This significant contribution enables the NRCA CTE/Workforce Development committee to make substantial strides in educating and drawing the next generation of roofing professionals. 

The NRCA CTE/Workforce Development committee has a subcommittee that works to secure funding for various CTE initiatives within the roofing industry. These initiatives include participation in SkillsUSA, the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE), and the Correctional Education Association (CEA), among others. The NRCA CTE/Workforce Development committee members and volunteers are dedicated to ongoing funding efforts to build and expand CTE outreach. This initiative is supported by multiple sources, including NRCA, industry partners and the Roofing Alliance. 

As noted, NRCA will host the Roofing Pavilion at the 2024 SkillsUSA NLCS “Techspo” from June 24-28, 2024. This will be NRCA's second time showcasing roofing (beyond a tabletop display) at this premier skills competition in the career and technical education sector. 

The Roofing Pavilion, a 20’ x 70’ space will feature a roofing project display with a 20’x40’ roofing project on a staired scaffold featuring a thermoplastic welding display and demonstration with an interactive competition for all SkillsUSA participants.  Competitors will also have access to product samples of steep roofing products, including asphalt shingles, tile and metal along with an estimating experience demonstrating roofing estimating software and additional interactive goggle technology. 

Several industry leading companies have committed to sponsoring the 2024 SkillsUSA program. With a combined contribution of over $120,000 in funds that were then matched with $50,000 per year for three years by the Roofing Alliance. Donations were provided by: 

1. ABC Supply 
2. Atlas 
3. Beacon Building Products 
4. EagleView 
5. Georgia Pacific Building Products 
6. IB Roof Systems 
7. Jobba Trade Technologies 
8. Johns Manville 
9. National Roofing Partners (NRP) 
10. Roofing Corp of America 
11. SRS Distribution 
12. TAMKO 

Roofing associations and media groups also contribute including: 

1. National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) 
2. Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) 
3. Georgia Roofing Contractors Association (GARCA) 
4. National Women in Roofing (NWIR) 
5. Roofing Contractor Magazine 
6. RoofersCoffeeShop® 

The combined efforts and funds from these sponsors and the Roofing Alliance are crucial for the NRCA CTE/Workforce Development committee's initiatives. By utilizing Pro Certification and TRAC training, also supported by the Alliance, these CTE initiatives aim to enhance roofing exposure and education for the next generation. 

While fully integrating roofing into the CTE system may take a generation, the next five years are critical. Extraordinary efforts and substantial expenses will be required to establish a strong foundation. The Roofing Alliance's funding and donations from the entire industry are phenomenal and vital to the success of NRCA’s CTE/Workforce Development committee initiatives, ensuring a bright future for the roofing industry. 

Be sure to follow RoofersCoffeeShop on YouTube throughout the week for ongoing updates live from the SkillsUSA competition.