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 eight-hundred 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.”

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 32 schools and 48 vendors representing housing in the “Show Me” state. Build My Future is a one-day interactive construction career day for high school students. “Over 800 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.