Home Builders Institute
Project CRAFT - Florida
Tadar Muhammad
Program Manager, Workforce Training & Employment
Lori Wilkin
Program Compliance Coordinator, Workforce Training & Employment
Vocational Education: A Motivational Tool for Success!
What was your first job?
Is that the job you are in now?
What things did you learn from your
first job?
When I grow up…I wanna be a…?
Success is to be measured not so
much by the position that one has
reached in life as by the obstacles
which he has overcome.
~Booker t. Washington
Why do we do this kind of work?
National Association of Home Builders
235,000 members
850 local and state affiliates
(HBA’s)
3 affiliate organizations
NAHB Research Center
National Housing
Endowment, the
Philanthropic Arm
HBI, the Workforce
Washington D.C. Development Arm
Home Builders Institute
Construction trades training
Job Corps (3,114 students annually)
WTE (1,000 students annually)
Job Placement Services
Project CRAFT - Florida
(Community Restitution Apprenticeship-Focused Training)
5 DJJ Residential Programs (310 Students Annually)
Dozier School for Boys (High-Risk Males)
Okeechobee Youth Development Center (High-Risk Males)
Avon Park (Moderate Risk Males)
Bristol Youth Academy (Moderate Risk Males)
Red Road Academy (Moderate Risk Males)
2 DJJ Probation Enhancement Services Programs (74 Students)
Orlando (Males or Females Probation or CR Youth)
Tampa (Males or Females Probation or CR Youth)
Recognized by National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) &
U.S. Department of Labor with PEPNet Award
PACT Curriculum
1. Building Trades Safety
& First Aid
2. Construction Math
3. Tools and Construction
Materials
4. Employability
5. Carpentry
6. Electrical
7. Plumbing
8. Brick Masonry
9. Landscaping
10.Facilities Maintenance
11. Painting
Industry Recognized Credential - HBI’s
Pre-Apprentice Certificate
OPPAGA Report, October, 2007
Among students who did not go to college, overall income
is similar, but students who attended career academies
that lead to industry certification earn higher incomes.
Among the students of the 2003 graduating class, most who did
not attend college had not yet entered fulltime employment by
2005. These students’ median income for 2005 was $5,397, which
was below the minimum wage of a full-time employee, $11,800.
OPPAGA found no overall difference in the percentage of former
career academy and traditional high school students who earned
incomes above the median. However, a higher percentage of
students who attended career academies leading to industry
certification earned above the median income.
National Recognition for HBI
Project CRAFT honored
with PEPNet award as a
“best practice” in youth
programming
OUTCOMES
Project CRAFT - Florida Outcomes in PY 2009
Average wage upon placement $8.45/hour
Placement upon graduation 98 percent
Community Service 37,987 hours
Pre-Apprentice Certificates 214
High School Diplomas 24
GED 52
Total Students 329
Project CRAFT students completed almost 40,000 community
service hours between facility repairs and new construction.
HBI students have saved taxpayers more than $273,886 in labor
costs to DJJ programs and local communities.
STUDENT SUCCESS
STORIES
Eric, 18 - Graduated 1/28/08
Eric is working for Outback as a server and attending Hillsborough
Community College. Eric was a recipient of a grant that paid up to
$1,000.00 for summer classes. His goal is to complete
Hillsborough Community College and attend the University of
South Florida. Eric while attending HBI quit smoking and stated
“he could think clearer when he stopped”. He earned his GED
while at HBI and became employed soon thereafter. Eric is very
focused on being the first male in his family to graduate college.
Jonathan, 17 - Graduated 8/1/08
Jonathan is currently attending nursing school working towards
becoming a patient technician. Once he completes this course, he
will start on his course to either be a dental technician or RN.
Jonathan attended Hillsborough Community College but really
wanted to get started with a career so he could start making
money. He earned his GED while at HBI. He was in the 7th grade
when he was referred to us. He was referred by the school district
as he missed more than 50 days from his social studies class.
Ivory, 19 - Graduated 6/30/09
Ivory is currently working at Publix in the Deli Department. He
took his GED Exam two weeks ago and is awaiting the results. The
goal is for him to learn various aspects of the grocery business
and become a manager to eventually run his own store as a
grocery store manager and move up to a regional manager. Before
HBI , Ivory states he didn't have any goals and no direction and
in his words thought he end up in prison.
Mayito, 17 - Graduated 6/30/09
Mayito currently works for the Clean City Division of Tampa. He
took his GED Exam two weeks ago and is awaiting the results. He
really hated school and stop going in the 8th grade because he
didn't see the point in an education. Mayito is currently in the
process of moving out on his own.
Student Wise, a
graduate of the Home
Builders Institute 2008
Project CRAFT-Tampa,
embraces Howard
Smith, a HBI project
coordinator, after
finishing a “facility
maintenance” program.
Kenneth Allen, a
Hillsborough public
school teacher, looks
on.
St. Pete Times
For more information regarding Workforce Training &
Employment contact:
Tadar Muhammad, Program Manager, Workforce Training &
Employment, 863-557-5054 or tmuhammad@hbi.org.
Lori Wilkin, Program Compliance Coordinator, Workforce Training
& Employment, 863-443-1940 or lwilkin@hbi.org.
Visit our web site at www.hbi.org.