The Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprentice Program has been selected to participate in the President’s high growth job training initiative, Building Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow.
The initiative awarded a grant to the Home Builders Institute. Grant activities will be conducted across the nation.
Total employment in the construction industry will increase by nearly one million jobs by 2012. However, the industry has difficulty recruiting youth, and many youth interested in construction lack the skills employers need. Further, some entry-level workers lack the basic technical skills needed to advance in the industry.
HBI and its partners, including local home builders associations, will create a systemic approach to construction industry workforce development that provides a continuum of recruitment, career exploration, education and training beginning with middle and high school and continuing through post-secondary education and life-long learning.
Ten national sites will be chosen to serve 2,500 individuals, including high school students, incumbent workers and dislocated workers. Sites will offer training in crafts, such as carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing and heating and air-conditioning. HBI and its partners will develop an associate’s degree or equivalent credential that incorporates the skills needed in residential construction.
John Shortt and Steve Kramer of HBI met with representatives of NEFBA’s Apprentice program, Florida Community College of Jacksonville, St. Johns River Community College, local school boards and other interested parties earlier this month to discuss the initiative and projected outcomes.
The initiative has identified four primary outcomes:
• 10 construction trade academies will be established.
• The academies will train 2,500 individuals in the construction trades.
• The initiative will develop an associate in applied science degree or equivalent credential that incorporates the skills needed in residential construction.
• Products and lesson plans will be disseminated to community colleges and public and private vocational training centers for national replication.
Duval County School Board member Tommy Hazouri is chairman of the newly formed advisory board and Anna Lebesch with St. Johns River Community College is vice chair.