Colorado Home Building Academy Hopes to Expand Nationally
One of the most pressing issues facing the industry today is the shortage of skilled labor. Denver’s Homebuilding Academy has launched efforts to change that. Labor shortages have been a constant in the industry for some time, typically with 200,000 to 300,000 open positions a month, according to numbers from the National Association of Home Builders. One home building school, Colorado Homebuilding Academy, is hoping to begin franchising its model in order to fulfill the need for labor across the country, reports the Denver Post. Organizers hope to have around 20 locations throughout the U.S.
Pat Hamill, founder and CEO of Denver-based Oakwood Homes and the force behind the academy, talked to people he knew at Franworth about making the program national. About a year ago, Hamill unveiled his goal of opening 20 locations over 15 years and training 1 million people who need jobs or want to change careers.
“It will probably be more than 20 locations, with a variety of sizes appropriate to the local market. We don’t have it all figured out yet, but I think we have it worked out enough that we want to share our story and share our model,” said Amy Schwartz, executive director of BuildStrong Education.