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Endowment Begins Pilot Internship Program at NAHB
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Donald Stanley, left, a junior at East Carolina University, and Christopher DeHaan, a sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, are the first interns under the NAHB Residential Construction Leadership/Internship Program. |
 Two students attending Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP)-funded universities are interning through the pilot NAHB Residential Construction Leadership/Internship Program funded by the National Housing Endowment.
The internships were developed as an adjunct to the endowment’s HELP program, which bolsters college and university residential construction management programs around the country.
Through the eight-week program, the students learn about legal, legislative and regulatory issues that affect the building industry while interning at NAHB. They will also learn about building products and management best practices while interning for a week at the NAHB Research Center.
The students will also intern for five weeks with a Washington, D.C.-area builder or developer.
“Our goal is to encourage more outstanding students to choose the residential construction industry for their career,” said David Jaffe, internship program coordinator and NAHB staff vice president of construction liabilities and legal research.
“This internship will supplement and enhance the students’ classroom experience by giving them practical field experience and an understanding of NAHB’s contribution to the housing industry and help them develop the skills they will need for a rewarding career in home building,” he said.
The two interns in the pilot program are Christopher DeHaan, a sophomore at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. who wants to be a builder, and Donald Stanley, a junior at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. who competed in the NAHB Student Chapter competitions at International Builders’ Show in Orlando earlier this year.
DeHaan said he is interested in green building and housing for the growing 50+ age group, as well as learning more about the legal background necessary for development. He said he was looking forward to seeing a “different perspective from the California construction industry” and to get “first-hand experience working with professionals in a real-world setting.”
Stanley said he dreams of becoming a custom home builder with an emphasis on green building. Because of his respect for the environment and by learning more about green building initiatives, he said he “will make a positive difference in my community and as a professional home builder.”
“When these students go home at the end of the summer they’ll have a much better understanding of the role of NAHB and its state and local affiliates, and they’ll have a better sense of the issues that are shaping our industry,” said Robert Pflieger, NAHB senior staff vice president for public affairs.
For more information on the HELP grant initiative or the National Housing Endowment, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.
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