Celebrating 50 Years of Job Corps and HBI!

Calling all those interested in being future builders and construction workers! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Job Corps program, and here at the Home Builders Institute (HBI), we are thrilled to celebrate our long-standing partnership. For 50 years, we have been working side-by-side with Job Corps to help young adults, (ages 16-24), launch incredible careers in construction and the building industry!

  • Together, HBI and Job Corps provide free career training and education in the building and construction industry to give young adults the skills and experience employers are looking for.

What is Job Corps?

Imagine a program that gives you the skills and training you need to land a fulfilling career in construction, all for free. That’s Job Corps! This government program under the U.S. Department of Labor offers free hands-on learning and vocational training in various construction trades, from solar and electrical work to plumbing and HVAC. Plus, you can earn your high school diploma or GED while you train. Job Corps even provides housing and meals at its training centers, so you can focus 100% on becoming job-ready.

Job Corps is HBI’s foundation- we offer 125 programs on 67 sites in 42 states. HBI partners with Job Corps to provide training and certifications through six trade disciplines programs in the construction industry. HBI’s expertise in construction training enhances Job Corps’ ability to prepare young people for careers in the building trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and more. This partnership helps Job Corps students gain valuable skills and certifications that can lead to employment opportunities and long-term career success in the construction industry. HBI also offers advanced training programs in electrical, HVAC, solar and plumbing. 

HBI Job Corps’ 50th anniversary marks 5 decades of empowering young people through education and vocational training. The milestone signifies HBI Job Corps’ enduring commitment to providing opportunities for personal and professional growth to generations of individuals across the United States.

“As a young black female, you know this is not the norm. I cannot express how grateful I am and that you invested in me just as you invested in my instructor (a former Job Corps graduate). I feel everything I’ve been through pointed me in this direction. I do believe that everything happens for a reason and here I am. I am ready to pay it forward and make you proud.

Again, thank you HBI and the sponsors for making this a reality. You will forever be a part of my heart.”

– Nickeysha Anderson 

Why Partner with HBI?

Here at HBI, we take construction training to the next level. We have a proven track record of success, exceeding Job Corps’ goals for placing graduates into registered apprenticeship opportunities. 

  • In 2023, our apprenticeship placement rate hit a whopping 32.73%, which means ⅓ of our graduates are launching their careers right out of our programs! This isn’t surprising since HBI partners with leading builders and construction organizations across the country. That means you will be learning the skills employers are looking for, making you a highly sought-after candidate.

HBI’s Jobs Corps training programs can be completed in just under 1 year! Graduates receive 

  • a trade-specific pre-apprenticeship certificate
  • OSHA-10 certification
  • industry-recognized credentials 
  • job placement and transitional support to build a successful career in construction.

Building a Brighter Future

Recognizing the effectiveness of our job training program, the Department of Labor awarded HBI a brand new 5-year contract in 2023. This means we will continue helping even more young adults, like you, transition from low-paying jobs into rewarding careers in construction and the building industry. The construction industry is booming, and with HBI and Job Corps, you have the chance to be a part of it!

Ready to Build Your Dreams?

If you are looking for a career that lets you work with your hands, be creative and make a real difference – and make a good salary to support you and your family – then construction might be the perfect fit for you. Visit our website at https://hbi.org/job-corps/ to learn more about the HBI and Job Corps partnership and take the first step towards building a bright future in construction!

Contact HBI today to learn more and take the first step towards a rewarding career in construction. Let’s build together! 

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Contacts Us

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MARIO GONZALEZ
Vice President of Workforce Training & Employment
Mario joined HBI as a Regional Career Development Coordinator of HBI’s Military Services in 2019 and was promoted to Associate Vice President of WTE Community & Corrections Programs in 2022.
 
Now serving as Vice president of WTE (2024), he oversees the daily operations of HBI’s WTE Community & Corrections, Military Services, & Academies programs, working with partners to advance HBI’s expansion and enhance job placement opportunities for graduates. Mario serves as the liaison between HBI and external stakeholders to include military installations. He ensures successful outcomes for HBI graduates from transitioning service members & veterans to justice involved adults & youths. Internally, he provides strategic operational perspective to HBI’s senior leadership team.
 
Prior to joining HBI, Mario served for 21 years in the U.S. Army across multiple locations globally & nationally and has an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN.
 
Mario resides in Tennessee with his wife and children and spends time in Texas where his mother, adult children, and grandchildren reside. He enjoys the outdoors and serving in his community. 
JOSEPH F. LANDERS
Executive Officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts

Joseph F. Landers, 71, is the Executive Officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts having assumed that role in 2018 with a mandate from the Board of Directors to harmonize the five MA local associations, increase communications from the state to the membership, increase the public profile of the association, create a path to financial stability and elevate the states lobbying efforts. Prior to taking on the challenging state association role, Joe was Chief Executive Officer and founder of Customized Structures Inc., a custom manufacturer of single-family, multi-family and commercial modular and panelized structures which began operations in 1984. Joe has been involved in the building industry, both site-built and factory-built, since 1973 and has worked in all phases of construction from development through design and production including on site management and sales. Customized Structures produced on average 330 single family homes per year, had an employee base as high as 180 and was known as the innovator in the production and design of modular components.

 

After the sale of Customized Structures Inc. to a private equity firm in 2003 Joe remained on the Board of Directors of the Company and functioned as a consultant to the CEO. He further took on the role of helping failing building systems companies return to profitability and successfully oversaw the sale of those companies. Mr. Landers has lectured frequently on the benefits and utilization of systems-built construction to building professionals around the country and has utilized his substantial professional and industry background to provide consultation services to both national and foreign companies interested in the processes and pitfalls of building and developing utilizing building systems components.

Joe attended Northeastern University and St. Anselm’s College graduating with a B.S. in 1972. 

Joe has been a member of the National Association of Home Builders since 1974. He is past president of two local Home Builders Associations and has served two terms as President of the  State of NH Home Builders Association. Joe is also a past president of the Modular Building  Systems Council of the NAHB, has been Chairman of the National Building Systems Council (BSC)  and has served five terms as a Trustee of the BSC during which time he created the BSC logo and  wrote the brochure “Most Frequently Asked Questions about Modular Homes”. 

In 1989, Joe received the National Pacesetter Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership  and contribution to the housing industry and in 1991 was awarded the title of Builder of the Year  by the Home Builders Association of N.H. In 1992 he was appointed by the Governor to the NH  Board of Fire Control within the Department of Safety and since then was reappointed three times.  He has served as a member on the State of New Hampshire Building Code Review Board and was  appointed by the Governor of NH to the Shore Land Protection Commission. Joe was selected to  receive the 2000 S. A. Walters Chairman’s Award, the premier award in the U.S. Systems Built  Housing Industry and was installed to the New Hampshire Housing Hall of Fame for his significant  and lasting contributions to the housing industry in the State of New Hampshire.  

Joe is a Senior Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders; he is served six terms on the NAHB Budget & Finance Committee serving as Vice Chair for four of those years, he has served  as Chairman of the Resolutions Committee, the International Housing Committee and the Building  Products Issues Committee of NAHB serving on the NAHB Executive Committee multiple times. 

In 2001 Joe was elected an Area Vice President of the National Association of Home Builders  representing builders through out the northeast. 

Joe is active in his community having served as finance chairmen of his church, is a member of the  International Order of Odd Fellows, and has served on multiple boards and committees on a  volunteer basis.  

Joe and his wife, Denise, reside in Plymouth, MA, they have two children, Jessica and Brad and two  grandchildren, Lily and Jack ages 13 and 11.

Seth Appleton
President of U.S. Mortgage Insurers

The Honorable Seth Appleton is President of U.S. Mortgage Insurers. In this role, he leads USMI’s efforts to enable sustainable access to affordable mortgage credit for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Seth previously served as President of MISMO, the real estate finance industry’s standards organization. Prior to that, Seth served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
a position for which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. In addition to his service as Assistant Secretary, Seth concurrently served as the Principal Executive Vice President of Ginnie Mae, a government corporation guaranteeing the timely payment of
principal and interest on more than $2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities.


Before joining HUD, Seth worked on Capitol Hill, including serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer for more than eight years. A native of Missouri, Seth is a graduate of Stanford University and is a co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Council.

Zach Harris Story Card - HBI Build Strong Academy New Orleans Graduate