b'BUSINESS MANAGEMENTIn 2006, Fred Horner and his team at Advancedof field service today at AIR is eighteen years with Industrial Roofing (AIR) in Massillon, Ohio were attheir most seasoned veteran foreman going strong a crossroads. They were growing fast and takingat 33 years with the company!on an increasing amount of public work. Faced withFive years ago AIR took their program to the both the need to expand their experienced crewsnext level by signing an articulation agreement and the need for a certified apprenticeship programwith Owens Community College. After reviewing they began forging ahead to develop a rarity fortheAIRcurriculumandinstructors,Owens its time, an independent, company-sponsoredCommunityCollegeagreedtooffercollege DOL Certified Roofing Apprenticeship Program. When Horner began this process, most certified programs were sponsored by organizations like JointLabor/ManagementApprenticeshipand TrainingCommitteesorlocalchaptersofthe Associated Builders and Contractors. Neither of these options were a fit for AIR, so they decided to create their own!Beingapioneerisnevereasy.Hornerand his team were faced with developing their own curriculum,havingthatcurriculumapproved,All three of these top graduates went on to become field and drafting program standards that would meetsupervisors for AIRthecriteriaoftheOhioState Apprenticeship Council and the US Department of Labor. Like all certified apprenticeship programs, the AIR Program was created asacombinationof both on-the-job training hours and topics as well as classroom training requirements. Not only wasthecertification process daunting, they stillhadtodedicate significantresources toinstructortraining,The current apprenticeship class completing classroom training Adam Douglas has been with AIRtraining facilities, andin the AIR on-site training facility.since 2009 and graduated from theprogram compliance.credits for the courses that are given during the program. This photo was taken during his apprenticeship, but he is now oneThe AIR ApprenticeshipAIR Apprenticeship Program.Once apprentices of their top foremen and is in trainingcomplete their three-year apprenticeship, they to become a Project Manager Program was officiallynot only have earned their DOL Journeymans establishedin2008,Certificate, they are also just a few credits away quickly growing and developing as it was put intofrom their Associates Degree.This joint training practice.It was yielding impressive results for notagreement is a powerful tool especially in the only skills training but leadership development asrecruitment of younger workers who are focused well.Employee retention improved as objectiveon the roofing industry as a career pathway. measuresoffieldandclassroomcontinuing education milestones were tied to pay and benefitContractors considering this path now have many increases in a uniform way.The program wasmore tools readily available to them. Nationally graduating skilled workers and future leaders, butrecognized training programs and curriculums for most remarkably, they were staying to lead theroofing are prevalent. The MRCA Best Practice company that invested in them.The average termBulletin even offers a sample three-year structure www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 7'