January 31, 2019 - HBA of Puerto Rico Community Development Corp., a non-profit organization affiliated to the Puerto Rico Builders Association (PRBA), with the collaboration of Caribbean Project Management and the General Contractors Association - Puerto Rico Chapter - formalized an alliance with the Puerto Rico Department of Education to train and certify approximately 2,100 high school students so that they can enter the construction workforce development.These courses, which will be offered through the Department of Education’s Occupational and Technical Education Division, will prepare those students to acquire a job based in the construction industry needs. It includes courses on job safety, mathematics, construction drawing and basic concept areas. After successfully completing the training, they will earn a high school diploma, a nationally recognized core construction certificate, a 10-hour OSHA construction training certificate and a certification of compliance with Governor Rossello’s Executive Order 2018-033.84 TEACHERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WILL BE TRAINED TO TEACH BASIC CONSTRUCTION COURSES IN SCHOOLS. THE GOAL IS TO CERTIFY 2,100 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH CONSTRUCTION CREDENTIALS.These nationally accredited construction certificates are issued from the Home Builders Institute (HBI) and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and will be valid throughout the United States. For this semester, HBA of Puerto Rico Community Development Corp. will offer the core course and the carpentry training. We expect to expand to other trades for the next school year in other much needed industry areas. This program will add value to the public-school system as students wanting to work in the construction industry will graduate ready to be inserted in the workforce. Our partnership will donate time for mentorship, raise funds to hand graduates tools and offer required on the job training opportunities. HBA of Puerto Rico Community Development Corp., has been contributing for the past months with all the technical and curriculum requirements that the Department needs.This continuous contribution includes mentorship and knowledge transfer, of a voluntary nature, which is necessary to achieve results with students. In addition, it will establish a system of placements where it will promote direct access between young people and the employers of the construction industry once the educational workshop finalizes.