The construction industry has struggled for years with a lack of available skilled trade workers. To help combat the shortage and make some serious progress toward decreasing the labor gap, the National Association of Home Builders and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America have teamed up to introduce more of the nation’s youth to the benefits and opportunities of a career in residential construction.
NAHB and Boys & Girls Clubs announced the new collaboration at a press conference held during the 2022 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando in February. Working together, the two organizations will connect young people to individuals in the building industry, providing them with work-based learning activities and access to essential skills development programs to further their career exploration.
NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Boys & Girls Clubs of America president and CEO Jim Clark signed a proclamation at IBS in honor of their Workforce Readiness Agreement, emphasizing a shared commitment to building stronger communities by recruiting the next generation of skilled trades professionals for the housing industry.
To kick off the pilot program, 10 local home builders associations will work with local Boys & Girls Clubs to mentor young men and women, showcase the multiple career opportunities available in the home building industry, and help guide them to choose a career in residential construction. In addition, local home builder associations will host events, including career panels, jobsite visits, and job shadowing.
If your state or local home builders association is interested in connecting with a Boys & Girls Club on future programming, visit nahb.org.
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Building Materials Prices Surge Again in January
The building materials price crisis, clearly, is not over. The prices of goods used in residential construction (except energy) climbed 3.6% in January (not seasonally adjusted), according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index was led higher by a 25.4% jump in softwood lumber prices and 9.0% price increases for indoor and outdoor paint. Building materials prices have risen 28.7% since January 2020. Over the past four months, the index has climbed 8.4%. The PPI for softwood lumber (seasonally adjusted) increased 25.4% in January following a 21.3% increase in December. According to data from the trade publication Random Lengths, the “mill price” of framing lumber has more than tripled since late August. The PPIs for both exterior as well as interior architectural coatings (that is, paint) increased 9.0% in January. Year-over-year, prices of exterior and interior paint have climbed 30.3% and 21.2%, respectively. Prior to 2021, the record 12-month price increase for exterior paint was 8.5% in March 2019, while that for interior paint was 10.1% in that same month.
ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing, and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. For more, visit nahb.org.