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Every February, the home building industry celebrates Career and Technical Education Month, a time to spotlight the training and educational opportunities that prepare students for careers in the trades. This is the third story in a weekly series highlighting the month.

Through hands-on summer programming, classroom visits and community outreach offered by the  (TCBA), students in southeast Florida have gained exposure to residential construction and learned essential skills to enter the industry. Across high schools, Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers and community programs like the Boys & Girls Clubs, TCBA has helped prepare Florida’s future home building workforce.

Each summer, TCBA hosts Skills in Construction Week, a hands-on opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to connect with the industry. The five-day program introduces students to tools and construction techniques and even teaches soft skills like interviewing and financial management. Students rotate through 12 trades to experience different industries, hear from guest speakers and finish the week with a career fair of local companies.

“Not only are we teaching basic skills; we’re opening their eyes to what careers can look like,” said Jen Williams, TCBA director of workforce development. “These programs introduce kids to the skilled trades.”

Last year, 26 students completed Skills in Construction Week and five received job offers at the career fair. So far, 10 of the 26 have either entered the industry or enrolled in trade school. Williams said the hope is for students to explore their options and have a better understanding of what they want to do after attending the program.

Building on this success, the TCBA partners with local high schools and CTE programs for half-day Career & Construction Days. Williams said they bring TCBA members into schools for three to four hours, and 15-20 students break up into small groups to learn about different trades. Recently, a general contractor walked students through masonry and epoxy flooring, a screening company demonstrated how to screen a panel and a pre-apprenticeship school taught a carpentry lesson.

The TCBA hosted five half-day events in 2024-25 that reached 78 students in two counties. It hopes to expand to two more counties and reach more students in 2025-26.

“We have schools that don't teach skilled trades, so we go in and show students it's an option,” Williams said. “Kids don't know what they don't know, but now you can handle a drill and read a tape measurer.

“Even if schools do have skilled trades, it may be carpentry but not electrical or HVAC. So, through no fault of their own, students can’t learn in-depth about them. But we can fill the gap.”

The organization’s work extends far beyond school programs. Through the TCBA Inc. Charitable Fund, the organization’s 501(c)(3) partner, it provides scholarships for students attending trade school and grants for those directly entering the industry. The fund has distributed scholarships since 1991 and can provide grants up to $1,000 for tools, clothing or even payroll contributions for students entering the workforce.

Locally, the TCBA is involved with the ’s  (FBA) program — an Æðµã´«Ã½ Student Chapter membership — and multiple Boys & Girls Clubs in the area. TCBA members support the FBA as guest speakers and by hosting students on jobsite tours, in addition to the TCBA’s scholarship program. Williams said they hope to expand their partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs soon to host events or bring guest speakers into the clubs’ programs. 

“If we can help one, two, five or 20 kids find a purpose for their life and it's part of what we do at TCBA, that's a win for everybody,” said TCBA Executive Officer Deb Frazier. “Everybody has a story, and you don't know what that story looks like.”