A bright future for the global roofing industry

By Jenny Yu.  

The International Federation for the Roofing Trade continues to foster craftsmanship, education and pride for roofers worldwide. 

During the Young Roofers Competition hosted by the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD), industry leaders gathered to showcase skills, exchange knowledge and reinforce the value of roofing as a respected profession worldwide. 

Pascal Civati, general secretary of the International Federation for the Roofing Trade, emphasized the organization’s role as a connector across borders, materials and systems. “We are, as a main task, a network platform, but what we are trying to do is organize all over the world a certain standard of how the work has to be done,” Pascal said. “We are working on guidelines which we distribute all over, and we are organizing the World Championship where we gather the young roofers to make them proud and spread the pride of the roofers themselves.” 

The competition highlighted how roofing techniques vary by climate, region and tradition, yet shared learning remains central. Pascal noted how competitors openly observe and adapt from one another. “The competitors look to the others to see how they're doing. They try to copy it because the same problem is all over the world, across different standards and different climates,” he said. “You can take the positive and the negative, and just to accept the positive ways so it can be an improvement all over.” 

Beyond competition, the IFD focuses on elevating roofing as a long-term career path. Pascal pointed out that workforce shortages make skilled roofing professionals more valuable than ever. “There is more than enough work all around the world because there are not enough craft people,” Pascal said. He commended the next generation of roofers, saying, “The perspective of the young people is really great and financially wise. It is a bright future.” 

Watch the interview to hear more insights on global roofing standards, workforce development and international collaboration!