Apply Now for 2024 Workforce Development Program Funding
The National Housing Endowment (NHE) has set a bold goal for 2024 — to introduce 100,000 students to career opportunities in the residential skilled trades.
State and local home builders associations are encouraged to apply for the Career Connections grant program, funded by the Skilled Labor Fund (SLF) and managed by the NHE, to help meet this challenge.
The purpose of this funding is to support activities that introduce students to careers in residential skilled trades, including:
- Traditional “career fairs” where students meet prospective employers in a trade show format;
- Presentations where industry professionals educate students about the career opportunities in residential skilled trades;
- Industry participation in community- or school-organized career events; or
- Any bona fide activity that promotes the trades to students or endeavors to make employment connections.
The SLF will award grants of up to $3,000. The committee will consider each application and will award funds based on merit and funding availability. Allocation of funds is determined by a committee representing the SLF, NHE, NAHB and any direction provided by contributors.
Applications are due Jan. 15, 2024, for career events taking place by December 2024. NHE will announce the grant recipients in the spring. Contact Mark Pursell with any questions.
Latest from NAHBNow
Workforce Development | Student Chapters
Mar 02, 2026
NAHB Student Competition Success Shows Residential Construction Future is BrightFor two days at the International Builders' Show, aspiring land developers, designers and project managers from NAHB Student Chapters across the country presented thorough building proposals and fielded tough questions from an audience of construction company executives.
Material Costs
Feb 27, 2026
Senate Bill Would Exclude Building Materials from TariffsNAHB worked with Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) to introduce legislation that would address the housing affordability crisis by creating an exemption process for building materials from tariffs.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Feb 27, 2026
Gains for Student Housing Construction in the Last Quarter of 2025Private fixed investment for student dormitories was up 1.5% in the last quarter of 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.9 billion. This gain followed three consecutive quarterly declines before rebounding in the final two quarters of the year.
Economics
Feb 27, 2026
Price Growth for Building Materials Slows to Start the YearResidential building material prices rose at a slower rate in January, according to the latest Producer Price Index release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This was the first decline in the rate of price growth since April of last year. Metal products continue to experience price increases, while specific wood products are showing declines in prices.
Economics
Feb 26, 2026
Home Improvement Loan Applications Moderate as Borrower Profile Gradually AgesHome improvement activity has remained elevated in the post-pandemic period, but both the volume of loan applications and the age profile of borrowers have shifted in notable ways. Data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), analyzed by NAHB, show that total home improvement loan applications have eased from their recent post-pandemic peak, and the distribution of borrowers across age groups has gradually tilted older.