Roofing Companies May Qualify for Funding in Support of Training and Internships

By Rod Petrick, NRCA Chairman of the Board. 

NRCA advocated successfully for expanding funding for the Perkins Act. Take action to see if you qualify.  

As workforce shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic continue to plague our industry, I encourage you to take advantage of new opportunities available through the Perkins Act. The act provides more than $1 billion annually for career and technical educational programs administered by educational institutions such as school districts and trade schools operated at the state and local levels. In 2020, NRCA successfully advocated for Congress to provide $52 million in additional funding, bringing total funding to $1.3 billion for Perkins Act state grants in 2021.   

Depending on the state in which your business operates, your company may qualify for funding that can be used for internships, training and other types of workforce development initiatives to help alleviate your labor shortages and help you find qualified workers. Find your state official here. NRCA also has created a sample letter for you to send to your state officials to request information about Perkins Act opportunities and funding. You can find additional resources here. 

If we want to have a skilled workforce, we need to shift our focus and sell roofing as a viable career path, so please take advantage of this new workforce development opportunity to improve your business and our industry. I also recommend reaching out to your local high schools, community colleges and trade schools to determine what CTE programs are available. If you have any specific questions about acquiring funding for the Perkins Act, please reach out to our staff in Washington, D.C., at (202) 546-7584. 

Learn more about NRCA in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.nrca.net.