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Training Academy Receives $5,000 Stuard Grant
 The Building Industry Association, Orange County (BIA/OC) in Southern California recently received a $5,000 educational grant from the National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, for its Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA).
BITA is a comprehensive four-year training program that gives students the necessary skills, training, knowledge and contact with industry professionals to pursue careers in the home building industry. The grant was funded by the Dale & Bea Stuard/National Housing Endowment Educational Fund.
The BIA/OC, working in partnership with area high schools and regional occupational programs, developed BITA to address the need for a sustained construction workforce and to increase area students’ awareness of the diverse career paths available within the industry.
Students enter the program as high school freshmen and continue through their senior year. During the program, students are exposed to every facet of residential construction, including site preparation, framing, electrical, plumbing and roofing. Upon completing the program, students have the basic skills needed to work in the industry.
The grant will support student selection, program coordination, curriculum development, project design, promotion and working with subcontractors participating in the program.
After completing their BITA coursework, many of the student go on to study construction management and many have been the recipients of endowment scholarships, including the Dale & Bea Stuard National Housing Endowment Educational Fund Scholarship.
Dale Stuard has more than 40 years experience in the industry and has been active in his state and local building associations and NAHB. In addition to serving as president, vice president, executive committee member, life director, state director and member of the political action executive committee of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Stuard is the immediate past chairman of the National Housing Endowment and the 1988 past president of NAHB.
“Bea and I are excited by the work of the Orange County building industry association and its efforts to train at-risk youth,” said Stuard. “This is the work that will affect our industry for generations to come and the BITA program is making a difference.”
For more information on the BITA program, e-mail Lawrence Jones at the Southern California Industry Education Foundation, or call him at 949-553-9500.
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