The Home Builders Institute (HBI) says it has acquired the programming, assets, and trademark of the Future Builders of America (FBA). FBA was launched in 2003 by the Florida Home Builders Association.
“The Future Builders of America has been the great pride of participating Florida schools, students and sponsors,” said Ed Brady, HBI’s president and CEO. “With FBA now a part of HBI, we have the potential to serve thousands more young people nationwide.”
“To create the next generation of America’s skilled workforce in residential construction will require our industry to attract more young people at the secondary school level,” said Brady. “As a career technical student organization, FBA scaled nationally could provide students everywhere the opportunity to gain the enthusiasm and abilities needed to be successful in building industry careers.”
“That is our vision for FBA,” Brady said in a March 29 statement. “We have much work ahead to reach it.”
FBA links students with the local building community. It grew to 17 chapters across the state. Guest speakers and field trips to building sites, along with opportunities for summer and post-graduation employment, have helped introduce an estimated 3,500 participants to opportunities in the construction industry.
“FBA and its dedicated supporters have built a sustained commitment to youth pursuing rewarding careers in construction and related trades,” said Cindy Hall, who has served as FBA’s executive director since 2016. “HBI’s acquisition of FBA means our students will have the benefit of HBI’s national network of resources and its industry-recognized skilled trades curriculum and certifications.”
HBI trains skilled workers for the building industry. It is the nation’s leading provider of career technical education in construction. The independent nonprofit offers construction career training, certification programs, advance training, and job placement for more than 10,000 students each year. It is the largest residential construction trainer for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps, operating on 66 centers nationwide.
“Through this agreement, HBI is the proud steward of an extraordinary initiative first created by Florida’s home building industry, an effort that has made a positive difference for thousands of bright, young Floridians,” said Hall, who will serve as HBI’s director of FBA programs. “We will continue to work closely with the Florida Home Builders Association and FBA donors to assure its continued success all across the U.S.”
High schools participating in FBA can apply for a grant to fund implementation of HBI’s pre-apprenticeship curriculum in residential construction for students to earn industry-recognized credentials. Funded in part by The Home Depot Foundation and the National Housing Endowment, the “Schools-to-Skills” program is currently accepting applications, which are due today (March 31).
