The construction industry faces a stark shortage of workers, but programs and people across the country are working at the local level to solve the problem. This series highlights those efforts helping to recruit the next generation of construction pros. Read previous entries here.
Do you know of a group that is helping to attract workers to the construction industry? Let us know.
When Roderick Colvin introduces himself, he sometimes starts by stating his title: senior external learning and development relationship specialist with GAF Roofing Academy. Other times, he begins by listing his former inmate numbers from when he was in federal prison.
“I introduce myself in such a way because I'm absolutely transparent about who I am, where I've been and hopefully serve as an example of what an individual could be,” Colvin told Construction Dive.
The GAF Roofing Academy offers free weeklong roofing classes and soft skills training from Parsippany, New Jersey-based roofing and waterproofing manufacturer GAF. Colvin said the program often connects graduates with commercial firms for potential placement.
Since 2020, the academy has trained more than 4,300 people nationwide in over 365 classes and has made upwards of 2,500 job placements across the country. The goal is to get participants job-ready promptly. This week for example, a class is taking place in Grand Junction, Colorado, providing graduates a certificate of completion and an OSHA 10-hour certification for free.
About 10% of those individuals are in situations GAF describes as “justice-involved,” meaning they have been charged with a crime or served time in prison.
Colvin knows it can be a challenge for individuals with a criminal background or those reentering the workforce from prison to navigate their career path. Colvin received a 15-year sentence for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and spent his time in federal prison earning a teacher’s aid certification through the Department of Labor. He later obtained further teaching certification from Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Illinois.
He eventually pursued a job to support others in reentry.
“On the justice-involved side of it, I always encourage them that it is never the fact that they are a convicted felon that would prevent them from getting employment. The fact of the matter is that it would be a lack of skills that would prevent you from getting employment,” Colvin said. “So, I would encourage them to take a direction of going toward skilled trades.”
And the industry needs more skilled craftworkers. Estimates from Associated Builders and Contractors indicate that construction needs to add an estimated 439,000 net new workers this year in order to meet anticipated demand.
Training, preparation and partnership
Aqua Seal Roofing, a commercial roofing firm based in Cayce, South Carolina, which is outside of Columbia, partnered with GAF in the spring of 2021, according to company chief operations officer Mills Snell. The firm collaborated with the academy to host a five-day workshop to teach roofing skills in Columbia. Twenty students completed the training and Aqua Seal hired four, Snell said.
After that success, the two firms hosted an academy with the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Snell said they trained 10 inmates within two months from parole. Again, the company hired four full-time. They have repeated the process every year since.
“Providing opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to enter the trades is crucial,” Snell said. “Some of our strongest roofers have come from unexpected places; they just needed the chance — or a second chance — to showcase their abilities.”
But it is not just trade skills that can make the difference, Colvin said. The academy also focuses on soft skills, such as professional conflict resolution and interview tips, which he says are key to aiding the transition.
“It helps make those contractors on the commercial side understand that some of these individuals that we train up come from a justice-involved background or come from a background where educational opportunities were not available to them because of barriers that they encountered,” Colvin said. “If they are equipped with the resources to help them with the soft skills training to be able to transition into a work environment, they could serve as a valuable employee.”
Snell said the academy provides a symbiotic relationship.
“Finding skilled labor is a big challenge for our industry and this program, from a trusted company, is filling that need, while supporting these communities,” he said.
