Searching for Ways to Improve Worker Retention?

 By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

The Qualified Trainer Conferences offered by NRCA have the solutions you need. 

In the roofing industry, it’s challenging to find and retain quality workers.  This continues to be a major issue in the industry. One of the reasons for steady turnover is due to the fact that workers aren’t being properly trained or coached.  

Realizing this issue, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) sought a resolution and developed the Qualified Trainer Certification.  The purpose of this program is to encourage companies to have their own trainer within the company to assist the new hires, recommend different trainings, and practice skills in the shop.  

Many contractors have an outdated and ineffective approach to training.  Some of the typical training practices include putting inexperienced workers on top of a roof and expecting them to learn through observation, or having someone from the crew train the new hires even if they don’t have the tools to properly train and mentor others.  Other times, contractors will become too busy and not have time to train others, they will wait to see if the employees stay before deciding to train them, or determine that training is too expensive.

According to NRCA, “By offering exceptional training to new hires and midcareer workers, you will help retain existing employees and attract new ones.  Employees will stay because they are trained, rather than leave because they are not.”  

Jared Ribble, Director of Qualified Trainer and ProCertification, believes that, “When you invest in your workers, you show them you appreciate their knowledge, skills and professionalism.”  The Qualified Trainer Conference is a two-day event filled with role play scenarios, immediate feedback from NRCA instructors, and peer group discussions, in addition to exercises and presentation in a hands-on shop environment.  This training has been described as, “a powerful recruiting tool for your company.”

Upon completion of the conference, newly certified Qualified Trainers will have a variety of tools to be exceptional trainers.  They will be able to keep new hires engaged during training sessions, deliver interesting presentations, create an effective hands-on training environment at job sites, and get new hires productive in a timely manner.  Across the country there are approximately 140 Qualified Trainers.  

Having an in-house Qualified Trainer is a more cost-effective way to train new employees instead of sending them elsewhere to get training or sending them to trade school.  NRCA wants “...every company across the United States to have a qualified trainer inside their company...so when new employees come in they can pair up and that qualified trainer will teach and mentor the younger generation coming into your company.” 

Find a location near you and mark your calendar for the upcoming Qualified Trainer Conferences in 2020: 

January 16-17 | Indianapolis, Indiana

January 28-29 | Aurora, Colorado

February 7-8 | Irving, Texas

February 19-20 | LaVergne, Tennessee

February 26-27 | Glendale, Arizona

March 4-5 | Agawam, Massachusetts

Hear Jared Ribble talk more about the Qualified Training Program in part one and part two of his podcast.