Bright Future Ahead: JM Joins SkillsUSA in Developing Next Generation of Workers

For more than 160 years, people have been at the core of everything Johns Manville does. Recently that commitment took center stage in Georgia, where JM joined forces with the National Roofing Contractors Association to help foster the talents and passions of the next generation of skilled workers.

JM and NRCA teamed up at SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference. Held annually in June in Atlanta, NLSC is a week-long celebration of the skilled trades and the accomplishments of career-ready leaders from across the United States, according to SkillsUSA.

The event each year draws more than 16,000 attendees, including students, instructors, industry partners and government officials. The highlight of the gathering is the NLSC, featuring more than 6,000 state champions competing for national gold, silver and bronze medals in 115 competitions.

A roofing event was added to the event in 2023, the result of an NRCA initiative to help SkillsUSA incorporate roofing into the national competition.

“The philosophy of the SkillsUSA Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance, and to keep classroom training relevant to employers’ needs,” according to SkillsUSA. “The competitions are created, overseen and judged by nearly 2,000 industry volunteers, each committed to building the next generation of skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members our future depends on.”

Fostering the next generation of skilled workers, including those in roofing, continues to be of high importance.

“The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor,” according to the Associated Builders and Contractors. “In 2025, the industry will need to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand, and that’s presuming that construction spending growth slows significantly next year.”

Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO, in a news release. Stated, “ABC estimates that the U.S. construction industry needs to attract about a half million new workers in 2024 to balance supply and demand. Not addressing the shortage through an all-of-the-above approach to workforce development will slow improvements to our shared built environment, worker productivity, living standards and the places where we heal, learn, play, work and gather.”

The SkillsUSA Championships mark the culmination of a year-long process that begins in SkillsUSA chapters across the country. Local winners advance to regional or district level competitions, at which they test their skills against competitors from other schools. Winners then advance to state competitions in the spring, and state gold medalists advance to compete nationally at the SkillsUSA Championships in June.

“Along with gold, silver and bronze medallions, competitors may earn scholarships, tools of the trade, and even job offers right off the competition floor,” according to SkillsUSA. “Perhaps most importantly, they earn the confidence that can only come when you know you’re among the best of the best in what you do.

“If you’re wondering about the future of the skilled trades, look no further than the SkillsUSA Championships to see that it’s in good, highly skilled hands.”

Other highlights of the Atlanta event included what SkillsUSA says is the largest technical education trade show in the nation, TECHSPO, leadership training, workshops and seminars, a community service project to benefit children, and an event-ending awards ceremony.