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Tampa Project CRAFT Students Start Life on a New Path
Six students from the Home Builders Institute's (HBI) Project CRAFT-Tampa were honored on March 6 for completing their industry sponsored Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) in the facilities maintenance trade.
Held at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, the ceremony was called a “Graduation of Change” to mark the achievement of the students in making mental, social and physical improvements to their lives.
“Project CRAFT takes a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation,” said project coordinator Howard Smith. “Students must first gain a positive outlook on life and their potential to succeed. Then students need to recognize the environmental conditions that led to their situation and change them. Finally, students learn the trades skills that will get them a job and help keep them out of trouble.”
Several prominent community members were present to offer their support to the graduates. From the Hillsborough County Public Schools were Ken Otero, deputy superintendent; Lewis Brinson, assistant superintendent; and Elsa Tuggles, director of adult education. Also attending were Scott Dispenza, president of Platinum Builders; and Bill Paul, an HBI trustee and a former president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association.
“I consider every Project CRAFT graduation, no matter the size, to be an important event. These young people made some regrettable decisions but were able to recognize those flaws and set out on a different path,” said Paul. “That kind of positive change can be very difficult and that's why everybody here and all of HBI is extremely proud of the work Project CRAFT does.”
Tampa and Florida’s four other Project CRAFT sites at Avon Park, Red Road, Dozier and Orlando were recently renewed by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. They will operate under $2.2 million annual grants from the department through 2011.
Project CRAFT trains more than 500 youths annually in Florida; more than 90% of its graduates are placed in industry jobs, the military or school. As part of their PACT training, each year CRAFT students spend approximately 30,000 hours working on community service projects throughout the state.
For more information on Project CRAFT, e-mail Dennis Torbett at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8908.
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