Kariem Dorset, a Northeast Florida Builders Association fourth-year electrical apprentice with Alligood Electric Co., won the National Association of Home Builders President’s Award at the International Builders Show in Orlando last month.
Jacksonville Job Corps Center electrical instructor Randy Jones knew there was something special about Dorset the first time he met him.
“Kariem knew what he wanted,” Jones said. “We got him started and he took over and ran with it. We could have put him to work after four months, and now he’s running his own crew.”
Dorset maintains a B+ grade average in the NEFBA Apprentice Program, and he is looking forward to graduation in May 2006.
Dorset works for NEFBA member Alligood Electric in Orange Park, where he has been employed for the past five years.
“This is a great honor,” Dorset, a native of St. Thomas, said of the President’s Award. “And it is the first step toward my goal of becoming a master electrician.”
The President’s Award recognizes a Job Corps student from among the 67 centers nationwide offering Home Builders Institute training who has overcome adversity and achieved success in the home-building industry.
“It was an honor for us that one of our apprentice students received such a prestigious award,” said Laura Laseman, NEFBA director of training. “It sends a strong message to other students, too. Hard work and commitment certainly do make a difference and don’t go unnoticed.”
Also at IBS, NEFBA fourth-year carpentry apprentice Patrick Moltmaker participated in the HBI nail-driving challenge. Moltmaker is employed by Auld & White Constructors.
To help meet the demand for skilled, trained construction personnel, NEFBA has made apprentice training a major focus for 31 years. More than 1,350 apprentices have been trained in NEFBA’s four-year programs.
NEFBA accepts applications every Monday evening in March and June each year. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, and must apply in person at the NEFBA offices, 103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 100, on the specific days indicated.
For more information about the requirements for admission or the program, contact Laura Laseman at 725-4355, ext. 233, or visit the NEFBA Web site - www.nefba.com, and click on Community & Training/Apprenticeship.
NEFBA secures paid employment for students accepted into the four-year programs, and students attend evening classes to complete their courses of study. There is no fee to qualified students.