WEST POINT — When Alexis Seals took a sabbatical from Mississippi State University this spring, she wanted to find a hands-on job to work until she was ready to go back to school.
After hearing about a commercial roofing apprenticeship program at West Point, she decided to go.
“I… don’t work right now, and they said you could learn about roofing, get a certificate, and possibly get a job,” Seals said. “So I thought, ‘Why don’t you try it?’ I actually took construction classes in high school. So roofing is like construction, but it’s a different kind and I like doing things like that in a hands-on way.”
Ladarius King and Andrew Smith wipe off roofing material and prepare it for installation Thursday during a GAF training academy program for roofers at Graham Roofing. King and Smith were among nine trainees who took a three-day course on the work of a commercial roofer. Grant McLaughlin/Shipping Staff
Seals was attending a three-day course, GAF (General Aniline and Film Roofing) Academy, along with eight other students, which started Tuesday at Graham Roofing’s Tibbee Road headquarters.
Jay McCord, GAF roofing trainer, told The Dispatch the program began working with roofing contractors in 2019 to facilitate local hiring as the industry saw a shrinking workforce. Now the company is working with Graham to increase its workforce.
“There aren’t nearly enough young people coming in, taking on these roles and having the skills that are extremely valuable,” McCord said. “Everyone needs a roof. If your roof is leaking, you need to get it fixed. So there will always be a need for it.”
McCord said commercial roofers entering the industry can expect to start out earning about $25,000, while the average salary is about $45,000.
During the course, McCord guided students through workplace safety practices and procedures, such as: B. how to wear safety equipment, move around on a roof and how to set up and install a commercial roof.
On Thursday, students set up a mock roof on a wooden deck to practice what they learned and show the host company what they can do with those skills. Upon completion, participants receive a certification from GAF Roofing, which they can add to their resume when applying for a position, McCord said.
“Today we actually took a step back and let them act as a roofing team,” McCord said Thursday. “By the end of the afternoon the whole thing will be watertight and covered and ready to go.”
Each student also received a $250 stipend to attend, and GAF Roofing will arrange for all participants to attend a 10-hour workplace safety and health training course, which certain roofing companies, including Graham Roofing, request. Graham will be interviewing the students for possible employment, said President and CEO Christee Holbrook.
Holbrook said she began working with GAF to set up the program in February because the company needed workers, and has gone from 55 roofers to 42 since 2020.
Christee Holbrook
“I’ve been talking to[McCord]about doing some more, possibly going to some jails because that’s what they’re doing,” Holbrook said. “That’s what we’re looking for – working with people to find people in our industry – and what GAF does is amazing for contractors like us.”
Holbrook also said she was pleased Seals had applied to the program because so few women work in construction.
According to labor data released by the National Association of Women in Construction, women currently account for about 1% of construction jobs.
“Obviously we need more diversity in our workforce because we need more workers,” Holbrook said. “It has been proven that women working in construction and roofing are of great benefit because they are better at multitasking than men and are more organized. There are many benefits for women to be in construction.”
Another student on the program, Ladarius King, said he plans to use his experience on the course to apply for a position at Graham, hopefully increasing his long-term earning potential.
“I wish I had studied civil engineering in school because that’s what I always loved to do as a kid,” King said. “I just did this (course) that builds on that and I can get certified for free. I just used the experience to come out and I can use it now.”
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https://cdispatch.com/news/2023-06-02/training-program-prepares-new-class-for-jobs-in-commercial-roofing/
