HBAs Step Up Summer Career Exploration Programs
This post has been updated.
This year, NAHB’s Boys & Girls Club partnership has helped match local clubs and home builder associations to promote residential construction career pathways and connect young people to the industry. HBA and member leaders are taking advantage of the summer months to lead entertaining and educational workforce development programs for students.
Fun-Filled Activities in North Dakota
The Home Builders Care of Fargo-Moorhead Foundation, the charitable arm of the BIA of the Red River Valley (Fargo, N.D.), developed an enriching lineup of activities for their local Boys & Girls Club this summer. The BIA hosted a Bird Feeder Construction Day on July 11 for 3rd to 5th graders. Lowes provided materials for the project and more than 50 BIA volunteers participated in the event. The Foundation has a new home construction tour scheduled for middle and high school students in August.
Construction Introduction Projects in Iowa
The Ames (Iowa) Home Builders Association led a wood vase construction activity on June 17 at the local Boys & Girls Club. Members generously donated materials and their time, which resulted in a successful career exploration day. More than a dozen 3rd to 8th grade students participated. The association plans to host education sessions in the fall the students to introduce them to construction.
Meeting Industry Professionals in New Jersey
To kick off the summer, members of the Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey (Lakewood, N.J.) invited a group of students from their local Boys & Girls Club to the Ocean County Construction Trades Career Expo held at a local vocational school on May 15. The students met with residential construction industry employers, including several of the association’s member companies, to learn about the trades and job opportunities. View photos of the event.
To learn more about how to get connected to your local club and kick start workforce development activities in your community, contact Greg Zick.
Members from the Ames (Iowa) HBA led a wood vase construction activity for the local Boys & Girls Club.
Latest from NAHBNow
Economics
Mar 16, 2026
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Affordability Concerns PersistBuilder sentiment inched up in March even as builders continue to express affordability concerns stemming from elevated construction costs and shortages of buildable lots and labor.
Advocacy
Mar 14, 2026
Trump’s Executive Orders on Housing Would Ease Affordability CrisisPresident Trump on March 13 issued two executive orders on housing to remove regulatory barriers and provide better access to mortgage credit that will help ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Mar 16, 2026
Builder Sentiment Inches Higher but Affordability Concerns PersistBuilder sentiment inched up in March even as builders continue to express affordability concerns stemming from elevated construction costs and shortages of buildable lots and labor.
Economics
Mar 16, 2026
Small Gains for New Single-Family Home SizeNew single-family home size had been falling since 2015 in response to declining affordability conditions. An exception occurred in 2021, when new home size increased as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as mortgage interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023 and affordability worsened, demand shifted back toward smaller homes.
Economics
Mar 13, 2026
Flat Conditions for Open Construction JobsThe number of open positions in construction in January was flat year-over-year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs is down measurably from three years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing.