Closing the labor gap

By Jesse Sanchez. 

This certification program helps contractors verify quality in an era of subcontracting uncertainty. 

As the roofing industry continues to battle a nationwide labor shortage, some builders are turning to a new solution: certification. In this Roofing Road Trips® podcast, host Megan Ellsworth is joined by Jared Ribble, vice president of certification for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and Estefani Albright, a roofing professional with Roman Roofing and completer of the NRCA ProCertification program. Together, they explain how the program has become a powerful tool not just for quality control, but for building trust in uncertain times. 

"Labor shortages oftentimes require companies to go subcontract labor, which might require them to sub it out again and again," Jared said. "So many might say. ‘We hired this great company, but we don’t know who these workers are anymore.’" That uncertainty has increasingly become a problem for architects, consultants and building owners, especially as labor outsourcing becomes more common. 

The NRCA ProCertification program, launched in 2018, offers a way to vet skills through standardized testing and video evidence-based assessments. What sets the program apart, Jared emphasized, is its accessibility: “We even give you an app that you put on your phone. Then you just send the recordings right to us.” Workers can record video clips of themselves performing system-specific tasks on the job and submit them directly for independent evaluation. 

Importantly, the program is gaining traction with architects and consultants who are beginning to specify certified labor on job sites. Estefani sees this shift as a validation of the industry’s growing professionalism. “We are proud of our workers, and we wanted the world, the contractors and our clients to know that we are proud of it and that we trust in the work that we do,” she said. For companies like hers, certification isn’t just a credential; it’s a statement of credibility. “I think it should be a standard in the roofing industry just to show that we know what we put on and that we are proud of what we do.” 

Estefani emphasized that professionalism in roofing transcends gender or background. She explained, “Yes, it is a male dominant industry, but women have the same opportunities.” As the first woman to earn NRCA ProCertification, she believes recognition should be universal. “I think it should be a standard for men and women and foremen out there to become pro certified.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how contractors are using certification on real-world projects!