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CBG Funds Boost High School's Building Trades Program
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CBG funds helped boost funding for the residential construction program at Palmdale High School near Los Angeles. | The building construction technology program at Palmdale High School near Los Angeles got a much needed boost from the Antelope Valley Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California through the National Housing Endowment’s Challenge/Build/Grow (CBG) matching funds initiative.
Under the CBG program, which provides matching grants of up to $5,000, HBAs find opportunities to build new partnerships in their communities by assisting local programs targeting issues of importance to the industry — including job training, image building and labor shortage and educational support.
The Antelope Valley Chapter used the CBG grant to help Palmdale High School create a two-semester residential construction program to teach students theory and hands-on skills in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, interior/exterior finishes and computer-aided design.
Through the program, students are able to work on full-scale structures, as opposed to scale models, and work on each phase of construction.
Students who successfully complete the approximately 1,000-hour program earn 10 elective credits each semester. Those earning a B or higher grade also receive a certificate of competency.
“The Antelope Valley region in northern Los Angeles County does not have any technical or vocation trade schools available for young people interested in pursuing careers in residential construction industry,” said Gretchen Gutierrez, executive officer of the Antelope Valley Chapter. “This program, the only one within a district of 10 high schools, is always popular with the students and highly sought after.”
Through the CBG grant and with assistance from the Southern California BIA, the Antelope Valley Chapter was able to triple the funding available to the high school in order to purchase construction materials and other needed supplies.
“The Antelope Valley Chapter is proud to have been able to provide financial support for the program,” Gutierrez said. “Funding from the grant helped create two working kitchen facilities and two functional bathroom mock-ups so that students could learn framing, drywall, electrical and plumbing skills,” Gutierrez said.
 “Building homes for the nation is too important a priority to neglect the education and training that will be needed to support the residential construction industry,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “Through the Challenge/Build/Grow matching grant initiative as well as other grants, the endowment is partnering with our state and local associations and answering the call by meeting the industry's long-term challenges.”
Since the CBG program was launched in 2001, more than $165,000 has been awarded to state and local HBAs throughout the country.
For more information about grant or scholarship opportunities, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.
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The Palmdale High program combining theory and hands-on skills is the only residential construction program in the area's 10-high school district and highly popular among students. |
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