NAHB's Newest HBCU Cohort Learns Career Development Skills

Workforce Development
Published
HBCU Student Leadership Cohort Group
The 2024-25 HBCU Student Leadership cohort along with Student Chapter Advisory Board Chair Dr. Charner Rodgers (front right) and Vice Chair Myles Cardenas (front left).
HBCU Leadership Cohort Student
Jayson Mollett, a student at Morgan State University, listens to a guest lecturer.
HBCU Leadership Cohort Students Talking
Students Renee Perez (left) from St. Philip’s College and Junie Saint Juste (right) from Florida A&M converse. 
HBCU Student Leadership Cohort 2024
HBCU Student Leadership Cohort students listen to discussion from guest speakers. 

Cultivating, educating and inspiring the next generation of building professionals is a key priority for the industry. As part of those efforts, NAHB’s second annual Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Student Leadership program held a three-day learning, networking and development meeting last month in Washington, D.C. 

Throughout the event, 20 students learned key lessons from industry professionals and NAHB staff, including how to develop an actionable career plan, how to use social media as a career development tool, and how to network.

“I feel like this is a great experience so I can get a feel for residential construction, because I’m still deciding whether I want to pursue a career in residential or commercial construction,” said Radjae Reid, a student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The program was established in 2023 to equip diverse, young adults with the skills, knowledge and connections needed to thrive in the residential construction industry. It comprises a growing number of students from HBCUs including: Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, Lawson State Community College, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View A&M, St. Phillip's College, Tuskegee and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. 

During the D.C. event, the students also took a trip to visit a residential construction site in nearby Bethesda, Md., explored the African American History Smithsonian Museum and learned about the International Builders’ Show (IBS), which will be held Feb. 25-27 in Las Vegas. 

Junie Saint Juste, a Florida A&M University student, was encouraged to sign up for the HBCU Student Leadership program by an alumni from its inaugural session. Saint Juste was impressed with the presentations and grateful to get some additional insights about the upcoming Student Competition at IBS.

“I knew I needed to be in this cohort so I can learn some more about the construction industry and bring back the knowledge to my group for the competition,” Saint Juste said.

Learn more about what the program accomplished in its first year and see what an alumni of the program said regarding the importance of supporting the next generation of builders.

Learn more about the Student Competition, set to take place Feb. 24-26, 2025. 

Sponsors

Andersen Windows logo
Mitek logo

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Legal | Energy

Jul 10, 2025

NAHB Presents Oral Arguments Challenging HUD’s 2021 IECC Mandate

On July 9, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas heard oral arguments in NAHB’s challenge to the government’s final determination requiring that homes built under certain housing programs comply with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and 2019 ASHRAE-90.1.

Economics

Jul 10, 2025

Remodeling Market Sentiment Dips in Second Quarter

NAHB released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the second quarter, posting a reading of 59, down four points compared to the previous quarter. While the reading of 59 is still in positive territory, this is only the second time the RMI has dipped below 60 since the survey was revised in the first quarter of 2020.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 09, 2025

Mortgage Applications Picked Up in June as Rates Eased

Mortgage application activity picked up in June, supported by a slight decline in interest rates. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, which tracks mortgage application volume, rose 5.4% from May on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to June 2024, total applications were up 21.1%.

Economics

Jul 09, 2025

Who’s Still Working from Home in 2025? A Look at America’s Telework Trends

Remote work may no longer dominate the U.S. labor force as it did during the height of the pandemic in 2020, but it still represents a substantial share of employment today.

Economics

Jul 08, 2025

Top Ten Builder Share Rises Again in 2024

The top ten builders captured a record 44.7% of all new U.S. single-family home closings in 2024, up 2.4 percentage points from 2023 (42.3%).