Half of a Million Dollars for Youth Trades Training Program
Effort Boosted by an Additional $200,000 from National Housing Endowment
Las Vegas, NV – The Home Builders Institute (HBI) today announced The Home Depot Foundation (THDF) will commit up to $500,000 to fund student training in home construction careers in high schools across the country. Additionally, the National Housing Endowment (NHE), the philanthropic arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), has pledged $200,000 in support of the effort. This combined $700,000 will provide training to thousands of students for construction trades skills.
The funds will allow HBI and THDF to provide a hands-on curriculum for high school students nationwide, along with instructor training and materials. Upon completion, students will earn a pre-apprenticeship certification endorsed by NAHB and recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The programs will be available at no additional cost to students and their families.
Industry data shows there are an estimated 311,000 open jobs, like carpentry, electrical, plumbing and others in residential construction.
THDF’s $500,000 commitment is part of a $50 million partnership with HBI, launched in 2018 to train 20,000 tradespeople over 10 years.
The latest announcement was made in Las Vegas at NAHB’s 2020 International Builders Show. At a news conference, Brady also announced that HBI has received the additional commitment of $200,000 from the National Housing Endowment to support this latest work by the organization in secondary schools to create career technical training in the building industry.
THDF and HBI will work with the nearly 650 state and local home builders associations (HBAs) to reach out to teachers, parents and students. “It will be HBAs and their members who will help us coordinate directly with high schools in their communities to put these new funds to work,” Brady said.
“HBAs represent home builders, remodelers and contractors in every corner of the country and are critically important partners in the success of this initiative,” said Mark Pursell, NHE President and CEO.
Former Florida HBA President Mike Hickman was influential in the Polk County School Board decision to adopt the HBI curriculum its six high school construction academies. “We are reaching nearly 800 students with an effective, industry-vetted program,” Hickman said. “This will serve them well, as they move on to higher education and enter the workforce.”
To apply for program funding, educators should visit: www.hbi.org/SchoolsToSkills.
About National Housing Endowment
The National Housing Endowment is NAHB’s philanthropic arm that supports the home building industry through education, training and research programs focusing on residential construction. The Endowment is dedicated to helping the housing industry develop more effective approaches to home building, enhancing education and training for future generations of leaders in residential construction and increasing the body of knowledge on housing issues.
