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Steel Framers Focus on Training in Katrina Recovery
With a commitment of $1.1 million, 12 North American steel companies have joined together under a “Gulf Coast Steel Initiative” to help rebuild the U.S. Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Put together by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the initiative will mobilize its resources to support local communities and businesses in the rebuilding process, particularly in the areas of steel framing and roofing.
In conjunction with this effort, the Steel Framing Alliance will be conducting on-site training sessions along the Interstate 10 corridor in Louisiana and Mississippi. Training was identified by local builders and developers as their greatest immediate need in the rebuilding process. The alliance is a member of the National Council of the Housing Industry — The Supplier 100 of NAHB.
“Our training initiatives will be focused on supporting large and influential builders as they convert from traditional construction materials to steel framing, and will reach a broad spectrum of trades and professions, including building inspectors, insurance agents and brokers, framers and general contractors, and design professionals,” said Larry Williams, president of the Steel Framing Alliance.
The alliance provides training through its STUD University, a three-day program that merges classroom instruction on design principles, building codes and other considerations with hands-on expertise. The targeted student for the course is a lead framer or construction project manager who will be in a position to provide on-site, job-specific training to entry-level framers.
Williams said that his organization plans to develop visual educational materials to assist in the training process, which will be coordinated through various home builders associations. The alliance will work with junior colleges and vocational and technical schools through SkillsUSA to train students interested in entering the steel framing field.
The Metal Roofing Alliance, a coalition of manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, will be training new workers to install steel roofing. The alliance is planning to train 24 individuals and install steel roofing for 18 homes at a location in Mississippi that has yet to be determined.
Among other things, the Gulf Coast Steel Initiative will also be focusing on providing business owners and consumers with information on where they can take their steel products to have them recycled.
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