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Campaign to Make Housing Careers Happen
A new “Make It Happen” campaign to promote careers in the home building industry was announced during the International Builders’ Show by the Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB.
In his report to the NAHB Board of Directors, HBI Chairman Michael Sivage cited the campaign as an example of how HBI is promoting the home building industry to young people, and the parents, counselors and teachers who influence their career decisions.
“’Make It Happen’ will help share our industry’s message of opportunity with thousands of young people,” Sivage said. “This campaign was specifically created to promote careers in our industry to let young people know that no matter what their talents or skills, home building has a place for them.”
Funded in part by the National Housing Endowment, “Make It Happen” showcases the full range of skills underlying the variety of careers found in residential construction — from architecture, construction management, interior design and marketing to mortgage banking, sales and the skilled trades.
Using direct messages — such as “Make It Pay,” “Make It Yours,” “Make It Real” and “Make It Work” — the colorful, high-impact materials include a brochure and a poster, both available in English and Spanish, and a fast-paced, four-minute video/DVD from NAHB’s Production Group. A new Web site, www.buildingcareers.org, offers a wealth of information, including building industry facts, job growth projections, college construction programs and salary estimators.
HBI is working with home builders associations and groups such as Junior Achievement, the PTA and the American School Counselor Association to reach out to their constituencies using the new materials.
NAHB’s philanthropic arm, the National Housing Endowment, shares HBI’s commitment to this endeavor and helped get the campaign off the ground with a $75,000 contribution at the association’s spring board of directors meeting in Washington, D.C. in April.
Over the next decade, 18 million new homes and apartments will be needed to meet the demand for housing from the nation’s growing population, further straining the pool of skilled labor available to builders and subcontractors.
For more information on “Make It Happen” or to order campaign materials, e-mail Deanna Lewis at HBI, or call her at 800-795-7955 x8927.
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