Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Offers Metal Roofing Training

On September 24, 2007 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College along with the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) launched a short-term training program for local students on the installation of metal roofs. The training is offered as a partnership between the MRA and the community college as part of Project Rebuild, a specialized training program providing individuals skills and preparing them for employment with contractors and construction companies working in the area.

MRA developed this training program through support it receives as a partnering organization in the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative (GCSI), a collective effort of the steel industry to help reshape future construction in the region.

The training program involves 10 days of intensive training with tools and metal roofing materials.

"Our industry is committed to supporting the rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region. We believe such a training program will increase the pool of skilled workers and bring high paying construction jobs to the region," said Thomas Black, executive director of the Metal Roofing Alliance.

"The metal roof installation curriculum focuses on four metal roofing styles that are commonly found on residential and light commercial roofs," said Black. "Metal roofs survived both hurricanes Rita and Katrina, and the huge demand for re-roofing with metal has in turn created a demand for skilled installers. When we learned about Project Rebuild at MGCCC, we knew this was the right institution to offer the metal roofing training program."

Offered at no cost to students, the metal roof workforce training is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and Mississippi Department of Employment Security as part of the H1B Pathways to Construction grants. Skills include theories, applications, codes and a 10-hour OSHA safety training session. When finished, students will receive OSHA (safety) and MGCCC certificates of training, as well as a Certificate of Qualification from the MRA, which students can present to metal roofing contractors as proof of training. Building Media Inc. (BMI) produced the metal roof installation curriculum. For more information, contact Tom Black.