Lately, it might seem like everyone is talking about diversity, equity and inclusion. National Women in Roofing is no stranger to this conversation. Since its launch in 2016, 1000+ members have been advancing equity by connecting, empowering, and amplifying women for the betterment and professionalism of our industry. It’s no surprise that NWIR continues to pave the way for roofing professionals at all levels to shift mindsets, practices, and systems that create barriers to innovation, profitability, and social justice.

Let’s face it. All forward-thinking professionals need to understand how to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. Achieving equity — the condition where the attributes of one’s identity has no influence on how one experiences a career in the roofing industry — is a core goal of the REAL Roofing education program. While no single course can provide the knowledge and skills to create equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, this intentionally accessible foundational training will help you make your organization a more supportive and engaging place to work for people of any background or identity.

Through a deeper understanding of equitable and inclusive habits, you’ll be better equipped to recognize and understand each person’s role in eliminating enduring inequities in our workforce. We’ll use small daily activities, designed to take less than 20 minutes and to be completed at your own pace, to gradually create new habits of understanding, empathy, and inclusion.

REAL Roofing™ – Moving the roofing industry forward with equity, diversity, and inclusion education.

Doing the work in roofing.

In the fall of 2020, the Executive Committee of NWIR started discussing the need for an education program for the roofing industry on the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion. It was determined that it was important to make sure that the program would be applicable to small and medium-size contractors and consultants, that it would be available at a low cost, and that the planning of the program would include voices from all various aspects of the roofing industry. The program is called REAL Roofing and the DEI Essentials learning journey is the course. Through a one month interactive series, the DEI roofing industry education program is available at a low cost for any company to provide access to the program for its employees.

How does this work?

The daily lessons in this course feature concepts that are intentionally accessible and foundational. The idea is that in just 20 minutes a day for one month, we can create a solid and shared understanding of DEI Essentials. What you’ll learn will help you ensure your organization is a supportive and engaging place to work for people of every background and identity.

Maybe you’ve seen those one-and-done D&I sessions, or even attended one here and there over the years? The DEI industry is full of them. Instead of yet another one-off speaker or afternoon webinar on Zoom, we intentionally designed this course with your impact afterwards top of mind. That means we designed this daily “learning journey” using evidence-based techniques in adult learning like spaced repetition and forced recall to help you resist the forgetting curve and foster retention. That also means we’re using cutting edge technology that is fundamentally designed for colleagues in the office, in the field, and everywhere in between. Text message engagement will drop each day’s video lesson conveniently in the palm of your hand.

20 days of content and support
15-20 minutes daily commitment
Laser-focused video microlessons
Self-paced, progress at your own speed
Delivered daily by text message to your phone
Easy access. No passwords. No login.

What will we learn about?

This course of study centers on four major themes. These subjects were prioritized for this inaugural course through input from a diverse cross-industry advisory group and the NWIR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Themes in this course include:

Identity & Language
Bias Awareness
Prejudice & Discrimination
Inclusive Leadership & Culture

Learning Objectives

This program is designed to establish for some, and reinforce for others, the fundamental principles for getting started with DEI. If you’re ready to invest in your future, your people, and that of your company, join us!

At the end of this course, you will be better able to:

Ground yourself in the forms of identity that shape yourself and your colleagues
Explore the levers that drive destructive social hierarchies in our workforce
Understand why inclusion matters and foster team cohesion.
Overcoming incorrect intuitions about others that are holding you back.
Model a shared vocabulary for inclusive communication

Lesson Topics Include:

What is DEI?	Beliefs, Values, and Behavior	Unconscious Bias
Making a Case for DEI	Conscious Bias	Microaggressions
Personal & Group Identities	Racial & Ethnic Discrimination	Biased Behavior at Work
Social Group Characteristics	Ageism	Prejudice & Discrimination
Inclusive Language	Inclusive Leadership	Systemic Discrimination
Intersectionality	Psychological Safety	Sexism

Future Coursework

DEI encompasses a lot more than will be addressed in this one course.

We know that there are important topics and communities within the workforce about which we can and will go deeper in the future. We’re already tracking potential topics:

Legal Compliance, Policies and Practices, Enforcement & Accountability, Power & Influence, Meritocracy, Barriers, Reward & Support Systems, Workforce Recruitment and Retention, and mor

What’s in a name?

In this case, REAL Roofing is inspired by the global leadership nonprofit, the Center for Creative Leadership. Their proprietary REAL™ framework for equity, diversity, and inclusion is informed by decades of making the world a better place through more effective leadership.

Reveal opportunities.

Elevate equity.

Activate diversity.

Lead inclusively.

Program language: English with English and Spanish captions.

REAL Roofing: A DEI Education for the Roofing Industry