Educators Share Trades Talent-Recruitment Strategies

To help fill the talent pipeline of future trades professionals, home builders associations across the country are building relationships with career and technical education (CTE) administrators and schools. On Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. ET, NAHB will host a webinar featuring high school trades instructors and HBA staff who will share strategies to motivate and educate students interested in pursuing a career in the trades.

The webinar kicks-off Career and Technical Education Month® which is celebrated each February to highlight the value of CTEs. The panelists will share best practices for implementing experiential learning activities and running promotional campaigns. NAHB has promotional materials, such as flyers and social media ads, that workforce development advocates can share to promote CTE Month® which are available on nahb.org.

In addition to the webinar, NAHB has a list of proposed activities that HBAs, workforce development committee members and individual members can lead or participate in to raise the visibility of careers in construction throughout February:

• Participate in Job Shadow Week, Feb. 3-7. Members can host students for a day at their place of business so they can see real-world examples of careers in action.
• Teach a middle school lesson plan for Teach-In Week, Feb. 24-28. Engage students at the middle school level, creating excitement for technical career pathways. View sample lesson plans.
• Host a Career Exploration Panel at your HBA or company office. Highlight worthwhile job opportunities available in residential construction.
• Donate Equipment. HBAs and member companies can donate equipment or supplies to ensure that students in secondary and post-secondary institutions have access to tools that meet industry standards.
• Share on Social Media. Post photos or share your CTE story on social media. Include hashtags #CTEmonth, #STEM, #WorkforceDevelopment, and #CareerTechEd.

For additional recruitment materials, such as social media videos and lesson plans for kindergarten to 12th-grade students, visit the workforce development section on nahb.org.