Over the past five years, the Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) team has worked hard to address the growing skills gap in the homebuilding trades. As a result of their efforts, the organization’s VSI Certified Installer Program has delivered 4,635 certified installers, 3,871 installer trainees, 4,508 registrants and 84 certified trainers to date. And the growing program’s valuable curriculum has been included and/or integrated into seven community colleges and trade schools across the U.S.
Yet as Karl Zidar, District Sales Manager of Westlake Building Products, who chairs PEPA’s Workforce Development Management Committee (WDMC) will attest, there is much more work to be done to effectively meet the skills gap.
"There are areas experiencing high demand for new homebuilding, where workforce development in construction trades is critical,” Karl said. “We have a robust certification program, and we’ve made commendable strides in recruiting and training. We must take the next step to put our product into the hands of more schools so that we can expand our talent pool to meet current and future demand."
To achieve this goal, the WDMC recently commissioned a strategic research project to better determine a clear path towards making its vinyl siding installer certification program more accessible to students at community colleges and trade schools.
The study was conducted by Workforce Development Specialist Carmen Cruz over three months. It included engagements with 18 community colleges and trade schools (in 14 different states) that offer carpentry and construction technology programs, and two industry partners. Carmen also performed a review of training programs developed by trade associations to identify best practices.
As part of the effort, Carmen interviewed executive directors, instructors, department chairs, program coordinators and diverse leadership directors from these organizations. The interviews lasted 30-45 minutes with questions addressing program overviews, curriculum enhancements and recommendations for implementation. This approach helped assess the feasibility of implementing the VSI Certified Installer Program in more schools at this level (as well as high schools) across the country.
Key Findings Shed Light on Growth Opportunities
Carmen’s work revealed that PEPA is “well-positioned to introduce a scalable, plug-and-play vinyl siding training solution,” based on the following results:
- A total of seven of the 18 schools in the study have existing vinyl siding education in their curricula.
- Over 60% of the schools expressed interest in exploring PEPA’s training if it is supported with employer demand, training resources and funding availability.
- All of the schools emphasized the need for a complete turnkey training package, especially in the form of a short, add-on module for successful adoption. PEPA’s training program is such a model – a one-stop-shop learning management system (LMS) that follows you throughout your homebuilding career.
The turnkey solution that the schools emphasized should include supporting print materials. PEPA’s VSI Certified Installer Program provides a user-friendly, printed Installation Manual, as well as digital collateral that can be formatted for print. The association’s Installation Central Work Group is updating installation resources and will be initiating teaching collateral based on Carmen’s research findings.
Best Practices Identified Familiar to PEPA
Carmen’s findings on what the schools and trade associations were doing “right” included many that were already in the PEPA playbook:
- Train-the-Trainer workshops: PEPA currently has a VSI Certified Installer Trainer/Instructor program
- Starter tool or supply donations: PEPA manufacturer members are proactive about donating samples for training programs. They also volunteer leading staff to participate in PEPA’s Installation Central Work Group and the WDMC to improve training courses and resources continuously.
- Employer engagement: Think mini career fairs, contractor demos and program advisory committee meetings. PEPA’s members have a long tradition of developing strong relationships with contractors, distributors and other relevant employers to ensure customer satisfaction and product success in the field. They have engaged employers, from the single contractor to the largest homebuilders, to recruit candidates for their training program and partner with them on more expansive training opportunities.
Recommendations for Model Program Implementation
To continue moving the needle, Carmen’s research findings suggest that PEPA should collaborate with potential partner schools to promote credentialing options, explore discounts and other cost-effective measures, and maintain a compact and adaptable module.
Based on these findings, PEPA is considering blending its nine modules with a couple of “hands-on” shop days, as well as implementing targeted pilots to gather feedback, implement the feedback and make necessary refinements before scaling to more schools.
The Bottom Line
This comprehensive research project is another example of the value that trade associations can bring to moving their respective industries forward. With the valuable nuggets gained from Carmen’s work, PEPA will be able to engage more schools with “a clear value proposition” that includes ROI justification, regional job demand and employability outcomes, wage data, curriculum strength, instructor qualifications and supporting testimonials and endorsements.
Writer’s Notes:
- The study selection targeted cities that are in high demand for the top five largest homebuilders. The first selection included cities like Indianapolis, IN, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Minneapolis, MN, Richmond, VA and the Baltimore/DC Metro area, MD.
- California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin were the 14 states where the research was conducted.
- Institutions like Fox Valley Technical College, Summit Academy OIC, Ivy Tech Community College, Central Nine Career Center, North American Trade School and Richmond Technical Center expressed conditional interest based on strong alignment with industry needs, job placement opportunities and manageable integration into existing curricula.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Don Browne is a writer, entrepreneur and local legislator who believes that the power of words can change the world. He provides unique writing services for clients in the construction, health care, IT and hospitality sectors. He has a passion for small business and start-ups, as well as writing about Irish history, family and corporate biographies. As a homeowner and father of four who is passionate about community development, Don looks forward to writing more about the exciting possibilities of creating traditional neighborhoods and more sustainable communities using modern materials.