By Dani Sheehan. 

You gained’t wish to miss SkillsUSA 2024 after studying in regards to the industrial roofing demonstration at this yr’s competitors and the evolution of the roofing business over the following three years. 

The yearly SkillsUSA Championship is designed to organize the following technology of America’s expert labor, and traditionally has had an amazing illustration of development and structure. Nonetheless, the roofing business is a comparatively new element to what’s represented in development. In Season 5, Episode 31 of Roofing Highway Journeys, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with John Esbenshade of the Nationwide Roofing Contractors Affiliation (NRCA) to debate the 2023 SkillsUSA Championship and the evolution of roofing illustration on this competitors.  

John is at the moment the director of workforce improvement for the NRCA and explains, “My day in and time out is making an attempt to deal with the workforce scarcity dealing with the way forward for the roofing business.” On this function, he’s seen an extremely motivated business with excessive vitality and collaboration, and SkillsUSA isn’t any totally different. Over the past three or 4 years, there’s been an enormous push to emphasise roofing within the development business facet of occasions.  

To become involved with SkillsUSA, it’s essential to attach with Profession and Technical Schooling (CTE) faculties in your state. This will usually be the toughest relationship to ascertain, however as John explains, it’s precisely the explanation roofing is so effectively represented this yr and within the coming years. Sherri Miles with Miles Roofing in Virginia is taken into account one of many founders on this space. She established a direct relationship with CTE faculties in her space and “she was simply making an attempt to get roofing concerned in these faculties. And thru willpower and consistency, being actually two of my favourite traits for Sherri, they began to see that Sherri was the true deal.” 

This yr, that they had 4 states compete in the course of the championship, and whereas John was a bit of dissatisfied there weren’t extra states represented, he says, “We’re hoping that we begin to generate sufficient curiosity the place lecturers and college students come by, and we give them the chance to do a few of this work hands-on.” He’s so certain they’ll agree it’s a incredible business to develop into: “Now go and inform your trainer you wish to study industrial roofing, as a result of that is actually the center of the competition.” 

SkillsUSA Championship will probably be held in June 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hearken to the complete podcast episode or learn the transcript to study extra about how one can become involved and create a crew of your personal to share your pleasure for the roofing business.