Denver, Colorado (10/5/1999) --- Volunteers from Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group joined the State of Florida (Broward County) Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to present an intensive training program for 19 teenagers classified as non-violent offenders. The educational program encompassed all aspects of both commercial and residential roofing. Johns Manville employees provided three days of in-depth classroom and hands-on training in built-up, modified bitumen and single ply roofing systems. The intent of the program is to provide the education necessary to prepare these young men for jobs in the roofing industry.
In addition to daily instruction and practice in roofing skills, students also had ample exposure to topics such as ways to get and keep a good job, CPR and safety training, money management, communications, and inter-personal skills. Also assisting in the program were Union Planters Bank, the YMCA of Broward County, the American Red Cross, Weed & Seed Program, City of Fort Lauderdale, One Hundred Black Men and Fazio International Ltd.
Johns Manville volunteers provided the hands-on roofing instruction. In addition to an overview of all three commercial roofing systems, the program also included shingle application and sprayed on foam roofing. The Johns Manville team also accompanied the students on visits to GRI and Bradco Supply so they could see the full line of products available and contractor operations. The Johns Manville volunteers included Daryl Alderman, Joe Strickland and Anthony Utter who all are Field Technical Representatives for the company; Don Baio, S.E. Regional Technical Manager and Joe Smith, Modified Bitumen Manager.
"We were very pleased to be able to participate in this worthwhile program," said Baio. "The roofing industry is struggling to find qualified help and this is a new vehicle for us to explore. It also was a natural program for Johns Manville since we sponsor the Better Understanding of Roofing Systems Institute (BURSI) which provides training programs on a regular basis," he said.
The students all volunteered to participate in the program. Those who graduated from the program now are trained for entry-level positions in the roofing industry at an anticipated base wage of more than $9 per hour.
Everyone involved in the program thought it was a great success and there are plans for it to become an ongoing event. For more information about the program, contact Karen Kane, NRCA's director of contractor management programs at (847) 299-9070, ext. 228.
Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building products. The 141-year-old Denver-based company had sales of $1.8 billion in 1998. Johns Manville employs approximately 9,700 people and operates 58 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at
www.jm.com
