What do you want to be when you grow up?  That’s an age old question.  If students don’t know about career opportunities they have limited their selection tremendously.  Career awareness and exploration starts at an early age.  Conceptualized to have an impact on student career choices during critical career decision-making years, partnership programs are introduced at the middle school level.   It is at this time when youth of this age group are faced with making decisions that will benefit their future.  These sample programs promote and support partnerships that bring together schools, parents, businesses, and other members of the community to increase student learning and stimulate interest in the residential construction industry and related fields.

The ultimate industry aim is to develop industry/education partnerships to better serve the needs of the construction workforce at all levels.

Our industry has a strong commitment to education.  What better place to educate youth about the industry than the school.  The design of the industry partnership program is two-fold: 1) to blend classroom instruction with hands-on experience, and 2) to prepare youth for postsecondary life experiences whether joining the workforce or continuing their education. 

Through participation in industry/education partnership programs, students will:

• Be introduced to the residential construction industry and the vast array of occupations associated with the industry
• Explore occupations in the residential construction industry and determine how the jobs are beneficial to the construction of a home
• Define training and educational needs for determining a career path that will assist in a successful transition to future employment and/or further education
• Become aware of the entrepreneurship opportunities available in the residential construction industry
• Gain knowledge of an industry that offers numerous career options
• Become more aware of what it means to be marketable upon graduation

Sample Internship Program
Title: Building a Firm Foundation – Summer Internship Program

The foundation for any HBI workforce development program is the partnership between an HBA, the school system and the community. These partnership programs are catalysts for change in the way high school students perceive the homebuilding industry, and an inspiration to consider their career options in this field. 

A residential construction industry internship is:

• A chance to test potential career choices
• A way to learn about management styles and work styles
• A way to enhance skills working with an industry professional
• A way to connect classroom learning to the world of work

Sample Classroom-based Mentoring Program
Title: Build a Home, Build a Career – Teaming Up For Business 

It’s exciting… it’s educational… it’s fun… and it’s easy to implement!

Typically, a traditional school-based mentoring program is a one-on-one (volunteer to student) formal or informal session held on school property.  The Build a Home, Build a Career –Teaming Up For Business program puts a twist on the traditional and on group school-based mentoring.  It is unique because it uses an interactive peer team approach, as part of a classroom lesson in a core subject area, to provide career awareness mentoring.   

Sample Work-based Mentoring Program
Title:  It’s Academic – Work-based Mentoring Experiences 

The industry professionals at all levels have an opportunity to promote and participate in mentoring experiences for students that support academic achievement and career exploration.  Students interested in careers in residential construction and participating in mentoring partnership programs are able to enter the job market with a broad range of workplace competencies and experiences and/or continue on with their postsecondary endeavors.