WEST POINT — When Alexis Seals took a semester off from Mississippi State University this spring, she wanted to find a hands-on job to work until she was ready to return to school.
After hearing about a commercial roofing training program in West Point, she decided to go for it.
“I’m not … working right now, and it said you could learn (about roofing), get a certificate and could possibly get a job,” Seals said. “So I was like, ‘Why not try it?’ I actually took construction classes in high school. So roofing is like construction, but it’s a different type and I like doing things hands-on like this.”
Seals joined eight other students to take a three-day course, the GAF (General Aniline and Film Roofing) Academy, which began Tuesday at the Graham Roofing headquarters on Tibbee Road.
Jay McCord, GAF roofing instructor, told The Dispatch the program began partnering with roofing companies in 2019 to facilitate local hiring since the industry has seen a decline in labor. Now, it’s partnering with Graham to boost its labor force.
“There’s not nearly enough young guys to come in, step up and take those roles over and to have those skills that are super valuable,” McCord said. “Everybody needs a roof. If your roofs are leaking, you have to get it fixed. So there’s always going to be a need for it.”
McCord said commercial roofers entering the field can expect to make around $25,000 to start, while the median salary is about $45,000.
During the course, McCord took students through safety practices and procedures on the job, such as how to wear safety gear, moving around on a roof and how to set and install a commercial roof.
On Thursday, the students put together a mock roof on a wooden deck to practice what they learned and show the host company what they can do with those skills. Upon completion, participants receive a certification from GAF Roofing, which they can put on their resumes when applying for work, McCord said.
“Today actually kind of took a step back and let them act as a roofing crew,” McCord said Thursday. “By the end of the afternoon, they’ll have this whole thing, waterproofed and roofed and ready to go.”
Each student also received a stipend of $250 for attending, and GAF Roofing will pay for all participants to receive a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration training course, which certain roofing companies, including Graham Roofing, require. Graham will interview the students for potential hire, President and CEO Christee Holbrook said.
Holbrook said she began working with GAF in February to set up the program because the company needs workers, going from 55 roofers to 42 since 2020.
“I’ve talked to (McCord) about doing some more, possibly going into some prisons because they do that also,” Holbrook said. “This is the stuff we look for — to partner with people on how to recruit into our industry — and what GAF is doing is amazing for contractors like us.”
Holbrook also said she was happy to see Seals apply for the program, since so few women work construction jobs.
According to labor data released by the National Association of Women in Construction, women currently make up about 1% of construction jobs.
“Obviously, we need more diversity in our workforce because we need more workers,” Holbrook said. “It’s proven that women working in construction and roofing are very beneficial because women can multitask better than men and are more organized. There’s a lot of pros for women to be in construction.”
Another student who attended the program, Ladarius King, said he plans to take his experience during the course and apply for a position at Graham, hopefully boosting his earning power in the long run.
“I wish I would have (studied) construction in school because as a kid growing up, I always like to do that stuff,” King said. “I did this (class) build on that right now and I can get certified for free. I just took advantage of the experience to come out and can take advantage of it now.”
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