Paving the way for a skilled workforce

By Jenny Yu.  

In a time of labor shortages, these associations are teaming up to prove roofing is a pathway to success. 

According to the RoofersCoffeeShop® 2025 Roofing Industry Trends Report, sponsored by QXO, over 50% of respondents indicated having faced a labor shortage in the field, and another key demographic identified new hire training as the greatest training need. The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and Virginia Association of Roofing Professionals (VARP), in partnership with SkillsUSA, are leading efforts to address both concerning trends. 

In June 2025, the NRCA and VARP hosted the first annual VARP Roofing Career Camp based on the national SkillsUSA model. Scott Shufflebarger, president of Hertless Brothers Roofing, Inc. and past president and chair of various NRCA and VARP committees, shared, “SkillsUSA is the training vehicle and way to get folks back into our industry. It provides an entry point for so many different people in so many different ways, and that pathway leads us into the classroom, summer camp and training our workforce.” 

Sherri Miles, president of Miles Roofing, Inc. and former president of VARP and current executive board member of NRCA, added, “SkillsUSA gets kids excited. Having roofing there is amazing because it engages with teachers, students and parents in a way they didn't understand roofing before. It really elevates the entire industry.” 

NRCA’s and VARP’s efforts aren’t only helping students looking for a career path; they’re helping existing roofing contractors attract and train new crew members for the future. “We're training kids before they get to us, so they're going to have some base of knowledge and common language before coming into the industry,” Sherri stated. “The success rate of them being not only attracted but retained at a company is much higher.” 

Looking ahead, Scott and Sherri hope to refine the summer camp format to become a plug-and-play blueprint for other cities across the country to implement. “The goal would be that VARP refines this enough so we can package it and replicate it easily so that this playbook can be handed anywhere across the Commonwealth of Virginia or the western part of the states,” Scott said. “We want to build something that's modular that can be implemented to make an impact for our industry.” 

“We're a perfect outlet for employment and training,” Scott added. “We have a pathway to massive success in entrepreneurship and having a wonderful career as well as training a better and more skilled workforce.” 

Learn more about how you can get involved in expanding NRCA and VARP's training efforts.