BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance and its subsidiary, Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc. (WTI) announced that they have become official business partners of SkillsUSA to inspire a new generation of skilled trade workers.

SkillsUSA is a national association serving students in middle school, high school and college who are preparing for careers in the trade, technical and skilled service fields. SkillsUSA does this through educational programs, events and competitions that develop personal, workplace and technical skills to ensure the U.S. has a skilled workforce.

To accomplish its mission, SkillsUSA partners with business, industry and labor organizations. As an official business partner, WTI and Tremco Roofing gain access to a national recruiting platform and introduce thousands of students to the rewarding career paths available in the roofing industry.

“We’re facing a crisis today with six million skilled trade jobs – six out of 10 – vacant due to a lack of trained workers,” said Mardee Billingsley, Executive Vice President of Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance. “WTI and Tremco Roofing are focused on educating a new generation of roofing professionals in both technical and business skills.”

Billingsley said the partnership with SkillsUSA pairs well with its own RISE (Roofing Individuals Succeed through Education) Program. This program, offered at no cost to employees, includes an accredited apprenticeship program as well as the opportunity for employees to pursue a degree in Construction Management.

“SkillsUSA gives students a head start in developing valuable professional skills such as communication, interpersonal abilities, time management, teamwork and more in addition to in-depth, hands-on training,” Billingsley said.

SkillsUSA is found in 6,200 schools throughout 52 states and territorial associations and serves approximately 421,000 students. With more than 60,000 SkillsUSA alumni currently employed, the support of roofing companies like Tremco Roofing and WTI is an important step toward improving the industry’s employment gap.