I spend a lot of time listening, talking, reading and writing about the number one issue for most roofing contractors: finding decent help. Workforce development is not just topic ‘A’ for roofing; it is for all skilled trades. Simply put, today’s skilled workforce is aging out and an emerging workforce isn’t there to backfill it.
This phenomenon is known as the “skills gap,” but in roofing it’s more like a skills canyon. The remedy for this is going to require more than the efforts of individual roofing companies. I don’t have all the answers but will share a few thoughts on some of the things I’ve explored.