HBA Commits $50K for a New Workforce Development Center

Workforce Development
Published
Contact: Greg Zick
[email protected]
AVP, Workforce Development
(202) 266-8493

members present check to group of students and educators

KCHBA leadership presents a check to NCC students and staff. 

The HBA of Greater Kansas City’s (KCHBA) philanthropic arm, The Home Builders Charitable Foundation, recently donated $50,000 to help construct the Northland Career Center’s (NCC) new Workforce Development Center. The generous donation underscores the HBAs commitment to training the next generation of skilled trades professionals.

“This contribution is an investment in the future of the economy as well as in the students from all over the Kansas City region who are interested in careers in construction,” said Will Ruder, executive vice president of the KCHBA. “The KCHBA’s mission is ‘homeownership for all,’ and homes for people must be built by people. It’s an honor to invest in an effort that will give our young people opportunities to pursue rewarding careers while creating much-needed housing for communities across the region.”

The new state-of-the-art career center will be constructed on a 19-acre site and serve more than 950 high school students during the day (doubling NCC’s current capacity), and — through partnerships with a local community college and other post-secondary institutions — allow 300 adults to enroll in afternoon and evening courses for college credit and/or advanced certificates.

KCHBA estimates that there are currently 200 students on the waiting list for construction career training. Jacob Blankenship, NCC construction technology instructor, said the new building will mean shorter waiting lists for students entering programs.

“We will be able to add electrical and plumbing classes and labs, which means more students will get the training to fill in-demand jobs in the skilled trades,” Blankenship said.

KCHBA’s substantial investment in career training didn’t happen overnight, explained Jordynn Webster, the association’s director of membership and community relations. She credits the unwavering commitment of the KCHBA’s workforce development committee. Committee members donate a significant amount of time to mentoring students, leading career exploration opportunities, and fostering a productive relationship with the NCC’s instructors and leadership. 

“NCC graduates will add quality skilled trades workers to our communities and beyond,” said NCC Director Jeff Green. “We continue to be thankful for the support of KCHBA and look forward to many more years working together.”

February is Careers and Technical Education Month®. To learn more about how to celebrate CTE Month® in your community, visit nahb.org.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

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

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Trends

Oct 29, 2025

Do Consumers Want Two-Story Foyers?

Nearly a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer in 2024 — a number that has been trending downward over the past eight years. Though the national decline continued, regional patterns were mixed. See where this feature is hot — and where it's not.

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) | Education

Oct 29, 2025

How to Market to and Design for the Aging-in-Place Client

NAHB will host three webinars (open to members and non-members) in November to teach the technical, business management, and customer service skills necessary to complete modifications for aging-in-place.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 29, 2025

The Fed Cuts amid Partly Cloudy Conditions

With the government shutdown limiting the quantity of economic data available to markets and policymakers, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) enacted a widely anticipated 25 basis point cut for the short-term federal funds rate.

Economics

Oct 28, 2025

Home Price Growth Slows

Home prices in August grew at the lowest annual rate in over two years, according to the recent release of the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index (seasonally adjusted – SA).

Economics

Oct 27, 2025

Two-Story Foyer Trend Stabilizes in 2024

In 2024, nearly a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, virtually unchanged from 2023, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB.