Se tenir au courant de l’industrie de la toiture est essentiel pour offrir le meilleur service possible à vos clients. But beyond trends and short-term changes, investing in roofing education and training for your team members is a great way to stay ahead of the game. Lorsque vous consacrez du temps à la formation, vous pouvez tenir votre équipe informée des nouveaux produits et ressources, ainsi que prévoir et prévenir les problèmes. You can also boost your reputation in your area by driving your installations to have the quality workmanship Elevate Red Shield Contractors are known for.
We spoke with Yogesh Bhowany, the Technical Services & Training Manager at Elevate Canada to get his take on the value of proactive education. Let’s see how Yogesh approaches training, makes it valuable for contractors, and why he encourages others in the industry to make training a top priority.
Training Basics at Elevate
At Elevate, continuous training is essential to keep up with the advances of new innovative products and systems as well as to train the new workforce. Workmanship quality is key to a successful roof installation and training is one of methods to help improve that.
In Canada, we conduct theoretical and practical training throughout the country on UltraPly TPO, RubberGard EPDM, Elevate Mod Bit and Roof Coatings. Most training sessions happen during the winter time when weather limits installation in the field and roofers can dedicate time to attending training sessions.
“The overall goal of our training is to ensure that all the roof installers are well versed with all the specific application techniques and requirements of our products and systems” says Yogesh, he notes that sometimes, there may be differences between the details or application methods of similar products from different manufacturers, and training helps bridge these gaps to promote the correct installation practices on site. The other main goal of training is to educate roof installers on new products. For example, Elevate training covers the applications, methods and techniques of the Elevate self-adhered TPO and EPDM membranes.
“We are committed to our focus on training to give roof installers a platform to learn and also share ideas and best practices with the mutual end goal of improving quality.”
Throughout the training, we cover everything from the basics to intricate details of roofing applications. The training goes over all the products and accessories and the relevant information pertaining to them such as temperature restrictions, proper application techniques, flash off time and product compatibility. A major part of the training is through demonstrations and hands-on training for every individual.
Training Formats & Expectations
A variety of training formats are also helpful in conveying information well. Typically, trainings are hosted at the roofing companies' shops for their staff. Elevate has also partnered with Roofing Associations and trade schools to provide a venue for all roofers. Smaller group settings of 12 to 15 attendees is the optimal size to have everyone’s engagement and participation. At Holcim, we conduct these trainings free of cost for our Elevate Licensed Contractors since we believe in the value it provides our partners.
Internally, our Field Technical Representatives who conduct the training themselves participate in continuous refresher training, safety training and new products training. “I believe it should be a priority for all roofing companies to invest the time in having their staff trained,” says Yogesh.
“I leave most of the training sessions learning something myself, because there is usually a mix of experienced roofers with new roofers together with our experienced Field Technical Representatives. With great dialogue, sharing ideas and questions, the expectation is to learn more from field experience on top of the training scope.”
Tackling Challenges
Availability is one of the challenges for training that we come across especially during the summer season, which is why most of our training sessions are conducted in the winter.
Another challenge arises from a general resistance to change, especially when there is a long history working with a specific product or system. “In my opinion, it is always good to keep an open mind and embrace learning about new systems and products. Roofing will evolve to accommodate labour shortages, requirements for quicker installation, sustainability needs, and climate change resilience. It will be beneficial to stay up to date with these developments,” Yogesh states.
Overall, no matter what, Yogesh prioritizes training and education about the most prevalent roofing systems in the market, while highlighting the benefits of innovative and safe roofing systems in order to keep the company moving forward with purpose.
The Rise of Mobile Training
This year, we introduced the new Elevate Mobile Training Trailer, to bring training directly to Contractors.
The Mobile Training Trailer is fully stocked with all the tools, mock ups and materials for a full training. Cela apporte un élément de commodité et de flexibilité pour nos contracteurs autorisés, leur permettant de suivre la formation chez eux. Holcim apporte la formation aux contracteurs, éliminant ainsi tout besoin de déplacement et d’hébergement! Finally, the mobile training trailer is always set up and ready to go, allowing us to schedule training on a very short notice.
Business Wins
The investment in training can only bring positives to the roofing industry. Improved workmanship, faster installation, and better solutions are just some of the results.. Elevate is committed to continuing education to support our network of licensed Elevate contractors who will continue to install high performance roofing systems that perform.
About The Expert
Yogesh Bhowany began his roofing career in 2013 with Elevate Building Products Canada which is now Elevate and is currently the Technical Services & Training Manager. His responsibilities in the Technical Department include conducting testing for code compliance, managing training and field inspections and assisting the design community with roofing specifications and warranty requirements.
À propos d’Elevate
The Elevate division includes our premier brand of roofing, wall, and lining systems – Elevate™. We are committed to developing the highest quality products —raising the standards of building solutions so they stand up to the elements while contributing to a healthier planet.
Get in touch with our training team to request a training today.
