Dear Member,
As workforce shortages continue to plague our industry, I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities available through the Perkins Act. The act provides more than $1 billion annually for career and technical educational programs (CTE) administered by educational institutions such as school districts and trade schools operated at the state and local levels.
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. I encourage you do what I did and contact the key official in your state agency who oversees Perkins-related programs. You can find your state official by clicking here.
Additional Resources
- For a funding request sample letter, click here.
- Additional information about the Perkins Act can be found here.
NRCA has also 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, in addition to roofs, 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-area high schools, community colleges and trade schools to determine what CTE programs are available. My company has had great success in finding new employees through our local CTE schools.
If you have any specific questions about acquiring funding for the Perkins Act, please feel free to reach out to our staff in Washington, D.C. at (202) 546-7584.
Best regards,
Nick Sabino
NRCA Chairman of the Board
Deer Park Roofing Inc.
Cincinnati