Workforce Development
Roofing Industry Doubles Down on Education
New training centers, hands-on workshops, and bilingual programs underscore the industry’s push to elevate contractor expertise and workforce development.
Distributors and manufacturers continue to raise the standards for roofing contractor training. For contractors, ongoing education is vital for advancing in their careers. In a fast-paced, competitive industry, staying updated on new technologies and best practices ensures quality work and boosts client confidence.
Read on for a few of the investments manufacturers and distributors made in 2025 and what’s in store for 2026.
ABC Supply’s new Learning Center in Beloit, Wis., is a 43,000-square-foot training facility designed to support branch management training and sales development. Programs bring associates from branches across the country for multi-week training that covers sales, financial reporting, customer service, and outreach.
ATAS International ATAS International, Inc., a manufacturer of metal roofing, wall and ceiling panels, announced the 2026 dates for its popular metal wall panel installation seminars. The seminar combines classroom instruction with hands-on installation training and, when applicable, a factory tour.
In the classroom sessions, participants learn about ATAS’s specific wall panel systems, common substrate types, and recommended installation tools. The practical part of the seminar covers three panel applications: horizontally applied panels over open framing, vertically applied panels over a solid deck, and metal shingles installed over a solid deck.
GAF’s Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence (CARE) program remains one of the industry’s most robust contractor-training engines and has played a significant role in distributor-channel education throughout 2025. CARE combines hands-on installation courses, business development workshops, safety training, and bilingual instruction delivered both virtually and at distributor locations across the U.S. GAF partners extensively with roofing supply houses to host these sessions, providing contractors a convenient way to enhance technical skills, get certified on specific roof systems, and boost jobsite productivity.
Low-slope roofing manufacturer MuleHide has expanded its network of training facilities by opening a new MuleHide Training Center in Englewood, Colo., offering the company’s customers and associates in the West region convenient access to ongoing, in-person, hands-on training. This facility joins centers in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Florida, providing immersive training to ensure proper product installation, job safety, and current expertise in commercial roofing systems.
The 4,900-square-foot facility is specifically designed for roofing training and includes everything needed to teach the correct installation of any low-slope roofing system or complete any detail. Courses begin with classroom-style instruction to provide a foundational understanding of the topic. Participants typically then watch the instructor apply that knowledge in a demonstration before gaining hands-on experience.
Owens Corning
Owens Corning’s contractor-education platform, Owens Corning University (OCU), offers in-person workshops (OCU LIVE!) and a comprehensive online training catalogue. Designed to support both emerging and experienced contractors, the curriculum spans installation techniques, sales skills, business operations and customer-communication strategies.
SRS Distribution
SRS Distribution expanded its contractor-focused training offerings in 2025 with additional bilingual, hands-on sessions at select branch locations. Many of these events, organized in collaboration with manufacturers such as TAMKO and Owens Corning, provide roofing contractors with product updates, installation guidance, and direct access to technical representatives in both English and Spanish.
Examples include a Bilingual TAMKO Training Day in Tempe, Ariz., and an Owens Corning bilingual training event in Miami, Fla., featuring live demonstrations and Q&A. Through its SRS Para Latinos platform, the distributor is working to make training more accessible for Spanish-speaking roofing professionals and to support contractor development in key markets.
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