Parsippany, N.J. – October 02, 2026 -- GAF, North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, has expanded its partnership with the DoW SkillBridge program to offer a no-cost, six-month manufacturing training track for transitioning service members.
Manufacturers face a 3.8 million worker gap by 2033
The expansion responds to a labor shortage that Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute project could leave nearly half of 3.8 million U.S. manufacturing positions unfilled by 2033, with industrial maintenance technicians among the highest-demand roles.
Training runs across five GAF plants in four states
The program is currently active at GAF facilities in Myerstown, Pennsylvania; Michigan City, Indiana; Mount Vernon, Indiana; Newton, Kansas; and Ennis, Texas. Participants work alongside GAF manufacturing teams to learn equipment operation, maintenance processes, and safety and quality standards, with consideration for open roles across GAF's manufacturing network upon completion.
"Service members bring technical expertise, disciplined problem-solving, adaptability, and teamwork that translate naturally to modern manufacturing," said John Barkhouse, CEO and President at GAF.
Roofing Academy has placed half of trained veterans in jobs since 2020
The manufacturing initiative builds on GAF's Roofing Academy, which earned SkillBridge accreditation last year. Since its 2020 launch, the Roofing Academy has trained hundreds of service-affiliated participants in residential and commercial roofing, with half securing roofing jobs following training.
GAF has also partnered with the Army Career Skills Program, Medical Evaluation Board Career Skills Program, NextOp, Work for Warriors, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Colorado Veterans Project, Team Rubicon, and Hiring Our Heroes to extend training and employment access to service members nationwide.