Building roofing’s national apprenticeship blueprint

The most valuable thing exchanged during the National Roofing Apprenticeship Program’s July 8 visit to Advanced Roofing was not a presentation or a statistic, it was candor.

For a full day, Advanced Roofing CEO and Founder Rob Kornahrens and Workforce Development Manager Joey Lee walked their visitors through nearly a decade of decisions, adjustments and lessons learned. They explained what worked, what failed and what they would change if they were starting again. Brad Strawbridge, CEO of Capital City Roofing and Geoff Mitchell, CEO of Mid-South Roof Systems, joined NRAP leaders Steve Little, Tony Rader and Tammy Hall to study Florida’s registered program from the inside and determine which elements could help accelerate an Atlanta-area program. By day’s end, the lesson was clear: roofing does not need to invent apprenticeship from the ground up. It needs a disciplined way to learn from programs already producing results.

A workforce challenge that demands structure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roofer employment will grow six percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 12,700 openings each year. The challenge is not simply attracting people to roofing. It is giving them a credible career path and employers a reliable system for developing talent. 

Connecting proven programs

That is why NRAP was formed. The independent, industry-governed nonprofit helps roofing contractors and workforce partners connect and replicate proven apprenticeship practices. NRAP does not replace state programs, ABC chapters, program sponsors or established curriculum and credentialing organizations. It connects those assets, including NCCER curriculum, SkillsUSA and CTE pipelines, ABC training centers, NRCA resources and registered apprenticeship programs, into a more consistent pathway. Florida and Texas already have operating registered programs. Georgia is in development, with Capital City Roofing and Mid-South Roof Systems helping anchor the effort.

“NRAP wasn’t created to reinvent apprenticeship. The roofing industry already has the pieces: NCCER curriculum, ABC training centers, CTE pipelines and proven state-registered programs. What has been missing is the connective tissue. Our job is to document what is working in places like Florida and Texas and make it easier for the next contractor and the next state, to build on proven success.” - Steve Little, president, treasurer, NRAP and CEO, K-Post Company

Nine years of lessons in one day

The morning at Advanced Roofing showed what a mature program looks like in practice. Apprentices complete more than 4,000 hours of paid on-the-job learning and approximately 300 hours of related technical instruction using NCCER-based curriculum. The two-year program is registered through Florida’s apprenticeship system and delivered with the ABC Institute. Even the class schedule reflects experience rather than theory. Evening classes left employees exhausted after long workdays. Weekend classes competed with family obligations. Advanced Roofing moved instruction into paid work hours every other Friday, giving apprentices the time and energy to participate fully.

“What I would share with contractors new to apprenticeship is to treat the program as a workforce strategy, not a training expense. When you invest in developing your own talent pipeline, you build stronger teams, improve retention and create the next generation of the industry.” - Joey Lee, workforce development manager, Advanced Roofing

The business case for developing people

Advanced Roofing covers tuition, pays apprentices during training and provides a defined path from apprentice to mechanic, foreman, superintendent, estimator or project manager. The results are concrete: 18 of the company’s last 20 graduates remain employed and 16 have earned at least one promotion. The company’s experience is consistent with national research. A 2022 U.S. Department of Labor study found a median employer return on investment of 44.3 percent across the registered apprenticeship programs studied, with additional benefits from productivity, lower turnover and a stronger talent pipeline. 

“Our apprenticeship program has delivered far more than technical skills. It has helped build careers, leadership and a stronger company culture. Hosting NRAP was meaningful because it allowed us to share our experience, learn from others and demonstrate how investing in people creates long-term success for everyone involved.” - Rob Kornahrens, CEO and founder, Advanced Roofing

A program is more than a classroom

The afternoon widened the lens beyond one company. Representatives from CareerSource Broward, Junior Achievement, the Roofing Contractors Association of South Florida and the ABC Institute explained how recruitment, referrals, funding and administration move among their organizations. 

The discussion reinforced a central reality: successful apprenticeship is an ecosystem. Contractors provide employment and on-the-job learning. Training organizations deliver instruction. Schools and community partners introduce candidates. Workforce agencies help eligible employers access funding. CareerSource Broward has provided more than $219,000 in Registered Apprentice On-the-Job Training wage reimbursements to Advanced Roofing since 2020.

For the Georgia contractors, the value was direct access: they could question the people responsible for making the system work. 

Taking the blueprint back to Georgia

As the day progressed, the questions became more specific: instructor selection, recruitment, scheduling, documentation, funding and the discipline required to sustain a program after launch.

“My biggest takeaway was that operational excellence isn’t built on one breakthrough. It is built on disciplined systems, intentional leadership and a culture where every team member understands the standard and takes ownership of it. I left with practical ideas we can implement immediately as we begin growing the Georgia Roofing Workforce Initiative in partnership with NRAP.” - Brad Strawbridge, CEO, Capital City Roofing

“I was honored to see Advanced Roofing’s apprenticeship program in person. There are a lot of details that can be overlooked in the high-level conversations about the need for a program like this and it was clear that the program has had a powerful impact on attendees’ lives. Their stories of the emotions at the graduation ceremonies were moving and the retention of the graduates and their advancement in the industry were clear indications that both the graduate and the sponsor company benefited from the program.” - Geoff Mitchell, CEO, Mid-South Roof Systems 

From one successful program to a national framework

NRAP is incorporating those lessons into its Contractor Implementation Toolkit, which will address planning, instructor onboarding, reporting, workforce funding and coordination among contractors, training providers and public agencies. Florida demonstrated that a durable roofing apprenticeship program can be built. Georgia demonstrated that contractors are ready to carry the model forward. NRAP’s task is to turn successful local practice into repeatable national knowledge, reduce start-up barriers and help contractors create credible career pathways for roofing’s next mechanics, foremen, superintendents and leaders. One visit cannot solve the industry’s workforce challenge. But the day at Advanced Roofing showed that the blueprint already exists. The next step is making sure more of the industry can use it. 

About NRAP

The National Roofing Apprenticeship Program is an independent, industry-governed nonprofit serving as a national coordination resource for roofing apprenticeship. It works with registered programs, contractors, ABC chapters, NCCER, SkillsUSA, CTE partners and workforce agencies to document proven practices and support responsible expansion. Learn more at www.nrapus.org.