Housing Industry Welcomes Summer Project CRAFT Graduates in Tampa
On July 29, four students enrolled in the Home Builders Institute's Project CRAFT(Community, Restitution, Apprenticeship-Focused Training) program in Tampa had a chance to experience what they thought they never would again — a commencement ceremony. This was their official welcome as members of the nation’s residential construction industry.
Bill Paul, president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association and an HBI trustee, encouraged the graduates to use their newly acquired trade skills “to build a life in the nation’s most rewarding and prosperous industry.”
The four students donned robes and mortar boards for the ceremony at Middleton High School, which was attended by family, friends and community members. Reverend Clete Sutton, a Tampa police officer, encouraged the students to use their talents “to inspire other young people to have the courage to do the right thing.”