Building the bridge from classroom to career

By The Coffee Shops®.

IIBEC membership, mentorship and industry resources connect academic learning with real-world building enclosure experience.

For students interested in architecture, engineering, construction management or building sciences, finding a path into the building enclosure industry can feel challenging. In one episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Jennifer Hogan, president of International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC), to discuss how student membership and mentorship opportunities can help close that gap.

As Jennifer explained, IIBEC brings together consultants and industry professionals working across the building enclosure field while providing opportunities for education, collaboration and professional credentialing.

One of the organization's most valuable offerings for students is access to the same benefits available to professional members. Jennifer noted that student members receive technical resources, including "the Hub, which is just like a really extensive online library of technical articles relevant to our field." Students also gain access to Interface, IIBEC's technical journal, along with educational programming and networking opportunities.

Beyond technical resources, Jennifer emphasized the importance of mentorship in helping students understand a highly specialized profession. "Those connections at IIBEC can really help students to discover the breadth of the industry, and it can help them to start connecting some of the classroom concepts that they see with the actual real-world application on the job," she said.

That real-world connection is especially important because building enclosure consulting often sits between multiple disciplines. Through initiatives like Project Excel, IIBEC pairs mentees with experienced professionals who can share career experiences, offer guidance and help students define professional goals.

Jennifer explained that the organization's investment in students is designed to strengthen the future of the profession. By combining technical education, mentoring and industry connections, students gain exposure to career opportunities they may never encounter in a traditional classroom environment.

As the industry continues to seek new talent, these early connections can help students explore potential career paths while building relationships that extend well beyond graduation.

Listen to the full podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about student membership and mentorship opportunities in the building enclosure industry.