Exclusive Gallery of the 2017 SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville

Training the next generation of skilled-trade workers starts early in high school. When will the roofing industry catch on?

RC Editorial Director Rick Damato continued his quest for more insight as to where the future roofers of tomorrow are coming from and what their career landscape will look like. He took a closer look at SkillsUSA, a national group serving young students across the country in an effort to empower workers to become world-class leaders and responsible citizens.

He ran into Mike Rowe, former host of the hit show “Dirty Jobs” on the Discovery Channel, and renowned skilled trades advocate, who will also appear on the show floor at IRE 2018 in New Orleans.

To Damator’s surprise, roofing was just about the only professional construction trade not represented at the annual championships in Louisville earlier this year.

Check out Damato’s exclusive photo gallery from the event, and read more about it here.