NAHB: Endowment-Sponsored Career Events Pay Off in October

The National Housing Endowment (NHE) provided grants to three local home builder associations to organize October events introducing high school students to opportunities in residential construction. Two-thousand students learned about the skilled trades needed to build homes, worked with tools and materials, and met local industry professionals.

Hosted by the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association, there were nearly 800 high school teens at the OKC Fairgrounds exploring different careers in construction and learning new skills in hopes of turning it into a career. “We have electricians. We have heat and air. We have windows. We have guttering. We have a concrete company outside. We have roofing,” said Dusty Hutchison, Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association Vice President. “The opportunities that kids have now is just extraordinary,” said Clifford Keester, Capitol High School teacher. “They get the opportunity to actually make a real difference in their neighborhoods.” [Watch a video from the event here.]

Florida’s Columbia County Builders Association organized an event for nearly three-hundred students at the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds. Bryan Zecher of Bryan Zecher Homes noted that, “We received strong community support and drew kids from five counties.”

Missouri Governor Mike Parson joined thirty-two schools and forty-eight vendors representing housing in the “Show Me” state. Build My Future is a one-day interactive construction career day for high school students. “Over eight-hundred students explored multiple career choices and interacted with construction professionals,” explained Home Builders Association of Central Missouri Executive Officer Rachel Andrews.

Al Scott, NHE’s Chair Elect, emphasized the importance of these locally organized events, “We know that the industry needs more skilled trades training. But first we must interest young people in the many careers available in housing. The Endowment’s Career Connections grant program helps to make that happen.”

The National Housing Endowment expects to release a new round of Career Connections grants in December of this year for the 2022 school year and is targeting ninety events. All local associations are encouraged to monitor communications from NAHB’s Executive Officer Council for announcements and grant applications.

For more information or to donate please visit nationalhousingendowment.org.

Contact: Mark Pursell

mpursell@nahb.org

O: 202.266.8477

About The National Housing Endowment

The National Housing Endowment is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization 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. It does so by supporting innovative and effective programs that further Education, Training and Research in the residential construction industry.