April 18, 2011
Nation's Building News

The Official Online Newspaper of NAHB

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National Housing Endowment
Kentucky HBA Uses Endowment CBG Funds to Boost Residential Construction Education
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The Home Builders Association of Kentucky used some of its Challenge/Build/Grow funds last year to host a construction career day that attracted more than 2,000 students.

The Home Builders Association of Kentucky, based in Frankfort, has used National Housing Endowment Challenge/Build/Grow (CBG) funds it was awarded last year to support 10 projects in the HBA’s Preparing for the Future — Workforce Development educational program for high school and college students.

The Kentucky HBA used some of the funds to support NAHB Student Chapters activities at Marion County High School, Shelby County High School, Eastern Kentucky University, Dunbar High School and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

The state HBA also organized and sponsored the 2010 Kentucky Construction Career Days, a two-day event promoting careers in residential construction that featured hands-on demonstrations. Construction Career Days attracted more than 2,000 students.

The HBA also used some of its CBG funds to increase student awareness about the benefits of joining their local HBA.

“We were so fortunate to receive this award,” said Lora Werner, the HBA’s director of member services. “We believe that students who have shown an interest in pursuing careers in residential construction in Kentucky have benefited from this grant.”

Since the CBG program was launched in 2001, the endowment has awarded more than $210,000 to state and local HBAs to find opportunities to build partnerships in their communities to assist local programs targeting such important industry issues as worker training, labor shortages, land use, image building, educational curriculums and scholarship support.

“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. “Even during these difficult times, the endowment is answering the call by meeting the industry's long-term challenges with bold thinking and action, through the Challenge/Build/Grow Matching Grant Initiative as well as other grants.”

For more information about endowment grant or scholarship opportunities, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org.

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