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HBI’s Job Corps Programs Adopting New Industry Training Standards

An initial effort by the Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB, to streamline and modernize its Job Corps training classes by applying new standards developed by association members has yielded favorable results.

The pilot project was conducted at five HBI Job Corps carpentry programs for a one-year trial period. On average, participants graduated to industry jobs paying about 36 cents more per hour than positions found by their classmates. Two students have gone on to higher education at technical schools, and two others were accepted into carpentry apprenticeship programs.

Based on the expertise of NAHB members, the training standards were incorporated into a new Training Achievement Record (TAR) for carpentry. TARs provide a course outline and are also used to track and measure student skill proficiency. The innovative program also utilized instructional materials from the standard-based Residential Construction Academy (RCA).

Instructors and students participating in the pilot program provided valuable input and feedback to help evaluate its effectiveness.

Based on the success of the pilot project, the new TAR and RCA materials will soon be adopted by all HBI Job Corps carpentry programs. And plans are underway to develop similar standard-based TARs in electrical, plumbing and facilities maintenance training.

"We couldn't be happier with the success of the carpentry programs using our Residential Construction Academy materials," said HBI Vice Chairman Patsy Smith, a builder and developer from Ft. Worth, TX.

"It's exciting to know our Job Corps students will be trained based on standards we, as an industry, developed," Smith said. "This is giving them a clear advantage out in the field, and I look forward to seeing this same success repeated in other trades."

All HBI Job Corps programs utilizing the new skills standards and training materials will be credentialed through the RCA. Students successfully participating in these programs will receive program and completion certificates and access to the National Registry, a recruitment tool connecting employers with prospective employees who have received RCA Series instruction. The registry is tied directly to the Building Careers Job Bank, the residential construction industry's online resource for technical, professional and craft trade jobs.

This year, HBI is celebrating 30 years of collaboration with the Department of Labor’s Job Corps, helping thousands of disadvantaged youths become members of the nation’s residential construction workforce. The institute focuses on ensuring that its Job Corps training is geared to meeting the workforce needs of the NAHB membership and helping to alleviate an annual shortfall of 60,000-80,000 workers in the home building industry.

HBI is the largest vocational trainer in Job Corps, which is the nation’s largest federally funded residential job training and education program for at-risk youths ages 16-24.

For information on HBI programs and resources, e-mail Maria McIntyre or call her at 800-795-7955 x8912.

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