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Wednesday, February 14, 2001 We're looking for a few good men and women to build the homes of the future By JOHN HAYES Overall employment in the construction trades is expected to increase from just under 6 million to more than 6.5 million from 1998 to 2008, according to a forecast from the U.S. Department of Labor. For the home building industry, this means that demand for workers is expected to exceed supply for some time to come, and that could have an impact on the cost of building new homes. The Home Builders Institute, the education and training arm of the National Association of Home Builders, is helping to attract and train new workers for the construction industry. In an NAHB survey, most people entering the labor market indicated that they were unaware that they can make good money and pursue rewarding careers in the construction trades. This has impeded the industry's ability to expand the labor pool by attracting young people. NAHB calculates that the construction industry will have to recruit 200,000 to 250,000 new craft workers each year to address attrition and meet future needs. Attrition is part of the problem, with 65,000 to 85,000 skilled workers leaving the trades annually because of inadequate training programs. In addition, the number of construction training programs offered by high schools, vocational schools and community colleges has declined dramatically over the past 20 years. That's where the Home Builders Institute comes in. HBI is the nation's leading source for education and training programs serving the home building industry. For more than 25 years, HBI has trained skilled workers in residential construction, enrolling more than 7,000 individuals nationwide in student chapters; construction crafts training; and apprenticeship, instructional design and job placement programs annually. Through HBI's Student Chapters Program, students are given firsthand exposure to the "real world" of the home building industry. NAHB student membership gives students an invaluable complement to their academic studies. Chapters are located in high schools, vocational and technical schools, community colleges (two-year programs) and universities (four-year programs) across the country. In addition, HBI continues to expand its skills training offerings through its Craft Skills and Job Corps programs, which train nearly 4,000 workers annually. Job Corps, the only national residential job training and education program for at-risk youth ages 16 to 24, is a top source of entry-level workers for the home building industry. Job Corps offers young people industry-validated, up-to-date skills training, as well as world-of-work and social skills tips that teach young people how to act on the job site. Job Corps also pre-screens and places young people in jobs at no cost to employers. Job Corps is a public-private partnership that returns $1.46 for every federal dollar invested. HBI manages programs offered at 65 of the 115 Job Corps centers nationwide, training young people for careers in brick masonry, building and apartment maintenance, carpentry, electrical wiring, landscaping, painting, plumbing and solar heating. In a new initiative, HBI's "Building a House to Build Careers" is creating partnerships between local home builders' associations and high schools to engage students in a school-to-work program. "Building a House" introduces students to home-building tools and techniques in the regular school curriculum and allows students and builders to join forces and build a single-family home later in the school term. Three pilot partnerships are underway. HBI also helps the home-building industry attract workers from nontraditional labor pools, from the homeless to the disabled. Project Take HEART-Homeless Employment and Related Training-is an innovative pre-apprenticeship program begun in 1997 that helps homeless people become self-sufficient through vocational training and life-skills counseling. The program offers industry-validated training combined with support services, which is vital for people making the transition from welfare to economic independence. Take HEART trainees learn basic skills in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, painting and wallpapering. They are also instructed in proper use of equipment and jobsite safety. These technical skills, learned through traditional classroom instruction and intensive hands-on training under an experienced instructor, qualify program graduates to take entry-level jobs in the building trades or to enroll in apprenticeship programs to increase their level of skill further. The program's strong employment-skills training component covers employer-employee relations, job market conditions and employability skills such as effective resume and application preparation and interviewing techniques. Through Project HOPE-Homebuilding Opportunities for Positive Employment-HBI, the Home Builders Association of Dayton and the Miami Valley and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission link disabled adults with employers in the residential construction industry. All rehabilitation clients referred to the program get full vocational skills and options assessments to gauge their interest in the industry and to inventory relevant skills they may possess. Trainees in Project HOPE also receive one-to-one coaching and support before, during and after placement. But the Institute's training programs don't stop at attracting new workers to the industry. HBI helps builders enhance their professionalism through continuing education as well, including the Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Graduate Remodelor, Certified Graduate Associate and Graduate Master Builder certificate programs. A career brochure and new video, "Real Jobs, Great Trades," describe the benefits of a career in the home-building industry. For more information on careers in the home-building industry, visit hbi.org or call 202-371-0600. John Hayes, who is with Torrey Homes, is president of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 440 builders and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Heard and Meriwether counties.
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