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Home Builders to Provide Career Training to Mississippi Youth

An award-winning program that trains youth for careers in the construction industry will soon be available in Mississippi through the Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB.

Starting this summer, Project CRAFT Jackson will be based at the Mississippi Youth Corrections Complex and work with the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) to provide training and jobs in the local home building industry to young people who are 16-18.

“I am very proud to bring Project CRAFT to my home state of Mississippi,” said NAHB President Bobby Rayburn. “This program has a successful track record in helping young people start careers in the construction industry, and it teaches them the value of community service.”

MDHS Executive Director Don Taylor announced the program at a press conference May 12 in Jackson. “We are extremely grateful to Bobby Rayburn and to NAHB for offering us this opportunity to help adjudicated young people in Mississippi get their lives back on track,” he said.

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Reverend John E. Cameron, Sr., of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church welcomed the HBI program and outlined plans for Project CRAFT students to help build affordable housing as part of their training.

HBI’s Project CRAFT (Community, Restitution, Apprenticeship-Focused Training) includes applied academics, employment skills, community service and an overall support system. The program is currently operating in Florida, Texas and New Jersey through state and local agencies; in Tennessee, it is being made possible through a Youth Offender Demonstration grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Recognized by Congress as a model program in the treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, Project CRAFT has a proven record in training young people for well-paying jobs. In 2002-2003, graduates enjoyed an 86% placement rate, with an average starting wage of $8.29 an hour.

Project CRAFT students volunteered for more than 28,000 hours in community service projects last year. Recidivism among program graduates has been low, ranging from 6%-15%.
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