On the third stop of the “Day at the Job Site” circuit sponsored by Freddie Mac, 25 students from the NAHB Student Chapter at Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska toured five active or recent job sites, including affordable housing construction sites, a major remodel, a multifamily condominium and a construction materials testing lab.
The students were accompanied on the Oct. 13 visits by members of the Southeast Alaska Building Industry Association and the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority.
“This is a really a wonderful opportunity for us to introduce future members of our industry to the variety of housing types and the endless opportunities in home building,” said Jeff DeSmet, proprietor, J. DeSmet Construction and president of the builders association.
The tour began at a construction site where representatives from Young Alaskans Building Affordable Housing discussed the building techniques they were using in two single-family homes.
Continuing on to a major remodel by DeSmet, students learned of the importance of quality construction and weather protection in the extreme temperate rainforest climate of Juneau. Some students were able to work with the contractors setting drywall, while others discussed crawl-space construction.
The group also visited a finished affordable housing development built by the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority. Craig Moore, development and construction maintenance manager for the authority, and Pua Maunu, project coordinator, described their approach to building and selling the condominiums.
At his condominium development, Richard Harris, owner of R.H. Development L.L.C., explained to students and faculty how he was successfully able to work with limited construction space that required many of the forms to be built off-site.
To conclude the day, students traveled to the University of Alaska Southeast for a presentation of its Mobile Test Lab by Marquam George, department head, Construction Technology Career Education. The lab is being used to assess the moisture resistance of different types of wall sections; it was established through a partnership between the university and the Cold Climate Housing Research Center of Fairbanks.
“This event was beneficial to everyone involved,” said Jill Herrick, executive officer of the BIA. “It was a chance to network with our student chapter members and give them valuable on-site experience.”
Previous “Day at the Job Site” events were held in Colonial Heights, Va. and Pittsburgh.
The NAHB Student Chapters program is administered by the Home Builders Institute, the workforce development arm of NAHB. Established in 1971, the program helps enrich the educational experiences of students enrolled in construction-related studies and training.
The program enables more than 3,000 students at 150 high schools, technical schools, colleges, universities and Job Corps campuses across the country to enjoy the benefits of membership in NAHB.
For more information on “Day at the Job Site” or NAHB Student Chapters, e-mail Joseph Krinock or call him at 800-795-7955 x8928.
