Opening the door to roofing careers

By The Coffee Shops®.  

NWIR chair shares how career exposure can help young people discover opportunities across the roofing industry. 

Few people grow up expecting to build a career in roofing. According to Christine Mockenhaupt, COO of Maven Roofing and National Women in Roofing (NWIR) chair, she certainly did not. She began as an accountant before her career led her into the building materials industry and, eventually, through distribution, manufacturing and contracting. 

Along the way, roofing provided more than a career. It introduced close friends and created opportunities she could not have imagined when she was younger and trying to decide what she wanted to do with her life. 

That experience is not uncommon among roofing professionals, which is why NWIR focuses much of its effort on workforce development. Through support for girls' construction camps, SkillsUSA and career pathing, the organization is helping young people experience the trades and learn about careers they may not have considered. 

Exposure is an important part of that work. Young people are often asked what they want to be when they grow up, but they cannot consider careers they do not know exist. Helping students see the possibilities within roofing gives them more information as they begin shaping their own paths. 

It can also broaden their understanding of the industry. A roofing career does not necessarily mean working on a roof. Christine’s own journey from accounting to distribution, manufacturing and contracting demonstrates how many different professional paths can lead into and through the industry. 

According to Christine, young people do not need adults to choose careers for them. They need opportunities to discover what is available. 

This is why it is important for roofing professionals to share what they wanted to be when they grew up, how they found roofing and what the industry has meant to them. By telling those stories to one another and to the next generation, the roofing community may inspire someone to discover an unexpected career. 

Learn more about NWIR.