North Carolina Builders Encourage Students to ‘Be Proud, Be Pro’
North Carolina builders have accelerated efforts to encourage students to explore the many job opportunities available in the skilled trades. On Oct. 20, the North Carolina Home Builders Education and Charitable Foundation celebrated the launch of Be Pro Be Proud NC, an initiative to generate student, parent and educator interest in technical professions.
The event attracted high-profile speakers and attendees including, Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Commissioner Josh Dobson from the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) and Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt.
Through the support and oversight of the NCDOL, Be Pro Be Proud NC will utilize two custom-built exhibition trailers equipped with virtual reality technology to give middle and high school students hands-on experience with skilled professions in the construction, manufacturing, transportation and utility industries.
“Labor is the number one issue for our industry right now, and Be Pro Be Proud is one meaningful way for us to move the needle in the right direction,” said Tim Minton, Executive Vice President of the North Carolina Home Builders Association.
Different work stations inside the trailers utilize virtual reality technology to allow students to experience what it’s like to use an excavator, practice welding, drive a tractor trailer, and work in construction, among other activities. SPEVCO, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company that specializes in mobile exhibition trailers, constructed the vehicles.
North Carolina is the fourth state where the Be Pro Be Proud program operates. Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina are also involved in the program.
Latest from NAHBNow
Economics
Sep 17, 2025
Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed MeetingOverall housing starts decreased 8.5% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
PWB Week | Professional Women in Building Council
Sep 16, 2025
Tradeswomen Paving Their Own WayNAHB spoke with Professional Women in Building (PWB) members Elyse Adams and Brittney Quinn about their career paths in the trades and how PWB has positively influenced their journeys.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Sep 17, 2025
Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed MeetingChallenging affordability conditions continue to act as headwinds for the housing industry, but the sector could see lower interest rates in the near future with the Federal Reserve expected to cut short-term interest rates this afternoon.
Economics
Sep 16, 2025
Builder Confidence Steady but Future Sales Expectations Hit Six-Month HighBuilder sentiment levels remained unchanged in September but lower mortgage rates and expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon cut the federal funds rate led to higher future sale expectations in the coming months.
Economics
Sep 15, 2025
Shelter Inflation Continued to CoolInflation accelerated to a seven month high in August as tariff-related costs continued to pass through to consumers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) latest report. Core goods prices, which exclude volatile food and energy, rose by 1.5% in August, the fastest annual pace since May 2023.