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The construction industry faces a shortage of workers, but programs and people from all over the country work locally to solve the problem. This series highlights those efforts that help recruit the next generation of construction professionals. Read the previous entries here.
Do you know a group that is helping to attract workers to the construction industry? Do us -know it.
When Roderick Colvin presents himself, he sometimes begins by asserting his title: specialist in relation to external learning and development with GAF Academy. Other times, he begins to list his former numbers of inmates when he was in federal prison.
“I introduce myself in a way that I am absolutely transparent about who I am, where I have been and I hope it will be an example of what an individual could be,” Colvin told Construction Dive.
Roofing GAF Academy offers free classes a week covers and Parsippany’s soft skills training, roof cover and new Jersey GAF -based waterproofing. Colvin said that the program often connects graduates with commercial companies for a possibility of placement.
Since 2020, the Academy has formed more than 4,300 people across the country in more than 365 classes and has represented more than 2,500 jobs across the country. The goal is for participants to be ready for work quickly. This week, for example, A class takes place in Grand Junction, ColoradoProviding graduates with a 10 -hour OSHA Certification Certificate and OSHA certification.
About 10% of these individuals are in situations that GAF describes as “involved in justice”, that is, they have been accused of a crime or have served in prison for a while.
Colvin knows that it can be a challenge for people with a criminal record or those who re -register the labor from prison to browse their career. Colvin received a 15 -year sentence for being a previously convicted of possession of a firearm and spent his time in federal prison, gaining a certification of help from a teacher through the Department of Labor. Later he obtained a teaching certification of the Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Illinois.
He finally performed a job to support others at a re -entry.
“As for justice, I always encourage them to never be a convicted felon that prevented them from obtaining a job. The fact is that it would be a lack of powers that would prevent work,” said Colvin. “Therefore, I would encourage them to take a direction to go to specialized trades.”
And the industry needs more skilled workers. The estimates of the associated builders and contractors indicate that the construction must add an estimated estimation 439,000 new net workers this year To meet the planned demand.
Training, preparation and collaboration
Aqua Seal Roofing, a Cayce -based commercial company in South Carolina, which is outside Columbia, was associated with GAF in the spring of 2021, according to the company’s operations manager, Mills Snell. The firm collaborated with the Academy to host a five -day workshop to show roof skills in Columbia. Twenty students completed the training and Aqua Seal hired four, said Snell.
Following this success, the two companies hosted an academy with the South Carolina Correction Department. Snell said that they formed 10 inmates in two months from the probation. Once again, the company hired four full -time. They have repeated the process every year since then.
“Providing opportunities for people of all origins to enter the operations is crucial,” Snell said. “Some of our strongest ceilings have come from unexpected places; they only needed the opportunity, or a second chance, to show their skills.”
But they are not just the commercial skills that can make a difference, Colvin said. The Academy also focuses on soft skills, such as professional conflict resolution and interview councils, which they are key to helping the transition.
“It helps to make those contractors on the commercial side to understand that some of these people we are from a context related to justice or come from a background where educational opportunities were not available to them due to the barriers they found,” said Colvin. “If they are equipped with the resources to help them with the formation of gentle skills in order to move to a work environment, they could serve as a valuable employee.”
Snell said the Academy provides a symbiotic relationship.
“Finding specialized work is a great challenge for our industry and this program, a trusted company, is filling this need, while supporting these communities,” he said.
