By Dani Sheehan. 

Don’t miss this participating dialog that may open the door in your firm to become involved with roofing competitions and encourage college students to enter the business. 

Within the most up-to-date Espresso Conversations®, sponsored by Johns Manville, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with business specialists to debate SkillsUSA. Hear from Todd Nathan with Johns Manville, Ryan Clancy with Baker Roofing in South Carolina, Sherri Miles with Miles Roofing in Virginia and John Esbenshade from the NRCA as they focus on expertise, methods and insider tips about how and why to become involved in competitions like SkillsUSA.  

The roofing business was probably not concerned in Careers in Technical Training (CTE), vocational and commerce faculties, till in all probability three or 4 years in the past. John explains how SkillsUSA now matches into this equation: “SkillsUSA is an lively competitors between profession and technical training college students throughout the nation with over 140 completely different contests. They’re very a lot designed to create the long run in all these industries in years to return right here in america. And so they require exams on private expertise, exams on workforce expertise and exams on technical expertise.” 

Final 12 months, they’d 4 champions with Ryan and Sherri serving to two of them put together for the championship. Ryan says they jumped in on the final minute for the competitors with three college students. He shares, “We introduced it to the purpose to the place roofing isn’t just asphalt shingles that you just see driving down the highway. We work on greater stuff, flat, Goal, Walmart, Residence Depot, Lowe’s. So, we attempt to make it intriguing for the younger women and men, exhibiting them the best way to do it, the completely different processes and simply the instruments you should use.” 

It was Sherri’s second time at a state competitors, and she or he shared her pleasure concerning the prospects the competitors brings to the scholars. She provides, “However the greater funnel was at the start of college and bringing thermoplastics into the classroom, and all the children within the CTE in Virginia Seashore Metropolis Colleges had a rotation for roofing. So, they received to return in, and whether or not they had been interested by plumbing or electrical or masonry, they received an opportunity with the hand welders. It is an opportunity to get to a broader group of youngsters who’re interested by building.” 

Johns Manville had a warmth welding contest at their sales space. Todd explains, “We had a small mock-up deck beside this as properly. So, we may take them over there and present them extra particulars. And we had college students come again and say, ‘Hey, can I strive welding there? Can I strive welding in several eventualities?’ So, it was a extremely, actually nice competitors as properly. Simply the involvement from the scholars was actually nice to see.” 

Trying to work along with your native vocational faculty to start out a roofing competitors close to you? Learn the transcript, Take heed to the podcast or Watch the webinar to be taught extra about these unimaginable competitions and the best way to open doorways for future generations in roofing.