Beyond the trade show: Scholarships, mentorships and more

By Jenny Yu. 

This year’s FRSA president shares how the association prioritizes educational opportunities to secure the future of the industry. 

There are many people looking to explore careers in the trades through vocational schools and trade schools, and it can seem intimidating to figure out how to afford training and education. The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA) is trying to reduce these barriers to entry by offering scholarships.  

Scholarships can change people’s lives, but unfortunately, some people aren’t aware of the scholarship opportunities available to them. So, Manny Oyola Jr., FRSA president, stressed the importance of awareness and sharing of scholarship information with Megan Ellsworth in this episode of Roofing Road Trips®. Manny discussed how, at their 103rd annual Convention and Expo, the FRSA honored 26 scholarship recipients amounting to $70,000. 

“The other day, my daughter was talking about how many scholarships every year throughout the nation go unused. Money that's there that people don't realize,” Manny expressed. “Through our Educational Foundation, we've been able to hand out a lot of money to young individuals for scholarships that are well-deserved, well-earned and needed.” 

With such a long and rich history of advocating for the roofing industry, FRSA has continuously expanded its reach, partnering with organizations like SkillsUSA, CareerSource and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to provide even more learning opportunities for people looking into the trades.  

“The work that we do and the community that we bring together as the FRSA, as the largest trade organization in the country, I think it means a lot,” Manny stated. “It's important that we keep young people at the forefront because those individuals, after all, are our future.” 

Providing opportunities for growth isn’t only something that Manny preaches; mentorship is part of his individual purpose beyond his presidency.  

“It is a privilege to be the president of the association. There's so much to do and so little time to do it in,” Manny shared. “But the great part about being president is that it doesn't stop the year that you stop being president. It goes on because of the amount of mentoring that you should be doing as a former president.”  

Read the transcript or Listen to the full episode  to learn more about the many scholarships and training opportunities that FRSA provides.