Since 1996, the Roofing Alliance for Progress has worked hard to improve the roofing industry as a whole through training and educational programs. The Alliance is organized through the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).
The Roofing Alliance brings together leading contractors, manufacturers and suppliers who share a common commitment to secure the future excellence of the roofing industry. Bone Dry Roofing is a proud, long-term member of both the NRCA and the associated Roofing Alliance.
A New Technology Initiative for Roofing Education, Training, and Certifications
A major current focus of the Alliance is the continued development and implementation of its robust ProCertification educational and training program for the roofing industry with both online and on-location components. Alliance members have already invested $11.5 million dollars into the effort.
The ultimate goal of the roofing training program is to create a nationally recognized credential system that communicates trust and confidence in the marketplace and helps roofing workers obtain and showcase expertise. This will help consumers made better-informed decisions and help roofing contractors attract and retain top talent.
An Ambitious Effort to Professionalize the Roofing Industry
As part of its long-term commitment to education and ongoing training, Bone Dry Roofing is proud to be helping spearhead the Alliance’s ProCertification development and rollout.
Chad Collins, president of Bone Dry Roofing, has been heavily involved in the ambitious undertaking to institutionalize and modernize on and off-site training and certifications for the roofing industry.
He sees the ProCertification effort as a one-in-generation opportunity to transform and professionalize an entire industry that all signs point to being in desperate need of it.
Elevating the Professionals, Separating Out the Rest
There are many upstanding roofing professionals in the industry, but many lack access to high-quality training resources or a way to market their skills.
On the other hand, there are too many unreliable roofers that do not keep the customers best interests at heart, and only roughly half of U.S. states require roofing licenses. Which is why an industry-recognized training and certification program represents a sea change for the industry, helping consumers separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff.
Chad Collins, on the potential for this ProCertification program:
“This is about the ability of the roofing industry as a whole to raise its universal training and certification standards across the board. This opens up opportunities for workers to compete for better wages and move up by demonstrating knowledge and competence in key areas of the roofing industry.
There are currently no national certifications or universal standards, let alone the exacting standards that we demand. We believe it’s our role as industry leaders to not just grow our own business, but also to help the roofing business itself mature, professionalize, and modernize.
Consumers will soon have transparent access to the demonstrated skill and knowledge levels of those proposing to work on their homes and businesses. This is hugely beneficial to both consumers—who will be able to make more informed decisions on who to work with—and roofing workers, whose certifications will follow them wherever they choose to work. Meanwhile, roofing companies will have an extra incentive to train their employees in order to increase their competitive advantage in the marketplace. Everyone wins, but the consumer most of all.
The ProCertification program represents no less than a revolution in the roofing industry. It’s an exciting, ambitious, and important project, and we at Bone Dry Roofing are excited to play a lead role in helping the Roofing Alliance make this shared vision a reality.”
-Chad Collins, President, Bone Dry Roofing
ProCertifcation Program Details
The ProCertification program will offer online training and certification coursework in over 40 roofing disciplines, including Asphalt Shingles Installer, Thermoplastic Membrane Installer, and Roofing Foreman.
Those three disciplines are already available, with many more modules coming soon.
Online and In-Person Training and Testing for the Roofing Industry
Each discipline will include roughly fifteen self-paced modules. Knowledge testing will take place at licensed testing centers. Certification will also require passing a hands-on testing component, where an accredited observer will review actual skills in-person in a testing facility.
Collins adds:
“The ProCertification program provides an environment where anybody who wants to take learning and training seriously can do so, even without an employer doing it for you. You can get the same accreditations and take them with you wherever you go.
Ultimately, everyone has a shared interest in a better educated and knowledgeable workforce, so this is a big win for everyone.”
And if you’re wondering when to find time for all this training, Collins has a ready solution: “In the roofing industry, there’s the cliche that ‘a rainy day is a slow day.’ Now roofing contractors and employees can use that time to invest in their own education and self-improvement. There’s no excuse for why customers should settle for anything less.”
