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Student Members Get Early Start on IBS Activities
 More than 2,000 students participated in events at the 2007 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, a record for the NAHB Student Chapters program, and preparation is now well underway for activities at the 2008 show — including Residential Construction Competitions (RCC), a Diversity in Construction luncheon, awards ceremonies and the Building Careers Job Fair.
NAHB student members can receive financial assistance for their travel costs to the IBS through the National Housing Endowment International Builders’ Show Scholarship. Students can apply for the funds individually, and home builders associations can also apply for them, which they match and distribute to the schools.
The annual NAHB Student Chapter calendar centers on IBS, particularly the competitions, where students demonstrate their proficiency in completing the management aspects of a real-life housing development.
Last year, 51 teams from universities, community colleges, high schools, vocational schools and Job Corps centers participated in the competition. The winners included Middle Tennessee State University, Brigham Young University-Idaho (Snake River) and Cumberland-Perry Area Vocational Technical School (PA) in the four-year college, two-year college and secondary divisions, respectively.
Next month, students will begin work on the 2008 RCC challenge, which involves an actual housing development under construction in Florida by competition sponsor Pulte Homes.
In addition to competition prizes, outstanding NAHB student chapters and educators are recognized at the show for their year-long contributions to the program and their dedication to promoting residential construction.
The Home Builders Institute and its industry partners will also host a Diversity and Inclusion in Construction luncheon at the upcoming show, providing the opportunity for students, educators and industry professionals to discuss housing’s workforce needs and how to attract a greater variety of people to careers in home building.
Replacing the three-hour open house format used in previous shows, next year’s Building Careers Job Fair will be held continuously outside of the competition rooms, allowing students to spend more time with potential employers.
For IBS information, click here.
For more information on the Student Chapters schedule, scholarships and deadlines, click here; or e-mail Page Browning at HBI, or call her at 800-795-7955 x8918.
Home Builders Institute Offers New Program to Teach Hispanic Adults English
 Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition is an easy-to-use, take-home learning tool created exclusively for the construction industry by the Home Builders Institute to improve communication, quality and safety on the job site.
The product, now available at www.seddesaberconstruction.com, uses proven LeapFrog technology to allow workers to listen, record and play back their pronunciation of more than 500 vocabulary words and 340 phrases. Participants who practice 30 minutes each day will complete the program in just four months. Learning at home, on their own time, also eliminates scheduling conflicts.
 Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition was developed by a team of subject matter experts assembled through HBI — including superintendents, craft skills experts, remodelers and builders — to ensure that the information is relevant to today’s home building workforce. To address worker safety issues related to the language barrier, HBI created a seventh book based entirely on the NAHB-OSHA Job Site Safety Handbook.
NAHB members can purchase the learning system, all seven books and a skills assessment to chart employee progress for $395 per kit. The non-member price is $495. Order today and empower your workers to learn English at www.seddesaberconstruction.com.
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