Building a Better Future for Florida YouthST. PETERSBURG - Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), announced two new construction trades training programs for Pinellas County youth as part of Youth Build Pinellas and the newly opened Pinellas Job Corps Center. Both programs will offer trades training and job placement counseling to at-risk youth interested in homebuilding careers. HBI Youth Build and HBI Job Corps will provide young people with the opportunity to learn skills through hands-on instruction and curriculum developed by experts in the home building industry. Participants will also gain experience by working on active job sites and participating in local community service projects. "These two programs will allow HBI to serve the youth of Pinellas while making a positive impact on the entire community," said Fred Humphreys, president and chief executive officer of Home Builders Institute. "Program graduates will leave the program with the advanced skills and training they need to begin successful careers in the home building industry." The HBI Youth Build program began August 23rd, and is offering two trades training programs in facilities maintenance and landscaping to approximately 40 students, ages 18 to 24. HBI Youth Build students will work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas, and will have the opportunity to earn a pre-apprenticeship certificate in their trade based on the NAHB residential construction standards. Slated to open in November 2010, the HBI Job Corps program will offer three trades training programs in carpentry, electrical wiring, and plumbing to approximately 450 students per year, ages 16 to 24. Graduates of the HBI Job Corps programs will earn a pre-apprentice certification based on the NAHB residential construction standards and an Occupations Safety and Health Administration ten-hour certificate. Students will also work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas. Students interested in the HBI program at the Pinellas Youth Build can contact Robyn Poppick at (727) 507-4300 x3012 or rpoppick@worknetpinellas.org. Pinellas Youth Build is located at 13805 58th Street, Suite 2-140 in Clearwater. Students interested in the HBI program at the Pinellas Job Corps Center can contact Carolyn Michael at (727) 608-2492 or cmichael@worknetpinellas.org. The Pinellas Job Corps Center is located at 500 22nd St. South in St. Petersburg.
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