Depending on the pool of applicants, Mosby Building
Arts will choose up to five new apprentices who can pursue
careers in the trades as carpenters, electricians, laborers,
painters, plumbers, roofers and remodelers.
"It's a big investment on our part. is is definitely a
cost center—not a profit center—for us," Mosby says.
"For a smaller company that can't afford to do what we're
doing, it's tougher for them to hire and train."
Mosby has tried to partner with other remodeling com-
panies on Tradeswork from the beginning, but many of
them do not employ workers in the field; therefore, they see
the labor shortage more as an issue for their subcontractors.
Once remodelers start delaying projects or turning away
jobs altogether because subcontractors cannot complete
work on time, however, they tend to reassess.
"All of the sudden, when it starts to affect their
bottom line, you can imagine that their interest level
increases exponentially," says John Courson, president
and CEO of HBI, formerly known as Home Builders
Institute. Courson has seen a dramatic jump in the
number of contractors and companies inquiring about
HBI training programs, which have been around for
nearly 50 years.
HBI—the educational arm of the National Association
of Home Builders (NAHB)—works with the Department
of Labor's Job Corps program to provide training and
placement in the trades for youth ages 16 to 24. e
About 85 percent
of the students who
complete a training
program through HBI
will be placed in jobs
within the industry,
says John Courson,
president and CEO.
Photos:
HBI
QualifiedRemodeler.com QR January 2017 41