Building Talent Foundation, StrataTech Partner to Fill Skilled-Worker Shortages
Nonprofit organization Building Talent Foundation has announced a partnership with StrataTech Education Group, a skilled trade schools operator. The partnership is intended to leverage StrataTech and BTF's networks in Arizona, Florida and Texas to bolster the residential construction talent pool.
The Waco Tribune-Herald notes that the real estate website Zillow places six of the 10 hottest housing markets in the U.S. in 2022 in Arizona, Florida and Texas. In its Fall 2021 HBI Construction Labor Market Report, the Home Builders Institute shows that the residential construction industry needs to train and place 2.2 million new workers within the next three years to meet the housing demands in the U.S.
The partnership between StrataTech and BTF is designed to fill these workforce shortages. The organizations will work together to advance career opportunities in residential construction for StrataTech graduates by bringing them into the industry through BTF's career coaching and job placement assistance. To meet the projected workforce demands, HBI's Construction Labor Market Report also notes that the industry must recruit more skilled tradeswomen into the homebuilding sector. StrataTech and BTF will leverage their partnership to attract more women to bring their talents and skills to the industry.
BTF reports that the partnership with StrataTech is already helping people launch careers and fill the much-needed demand for skilled trades while also addressing the skills gap. Seventeen recent graduates from StrataTech's Tulsa Welding School campus in Houston successfully secured job placements as technical trade professionals in the housing industry through BTF.
"StrataTech and Building Talent Foundation are well aligned to serve our vision of building a sustainable workforce," says Branka Minic, CEO of BTF. "We serve the same communities and focus on successfully transitioning well-trained skilled trades professionals into rewarding careers. We are working to deepen our collaboration and jointly promote skilled trades to talented young people while also helping to fill the current demand in the construction industry."
StrataTech strives to prepare their students to take on in-demand jobs through innovative, high-tech training programs based on industry and employer needs. Recently, StrataTech launched StrataSkills, a workforce development and retention solution for skilled tradespeople. The program aims to help companies upskill and reskill their employees to meet the changing demands of the industry. To bring more awareness to StrataSkills and connect more people with training opportunities, BTF will connect to StrataTech Education's Tulsa Welding School, the Refrigeration School and StrataSkills from its online career platform, JobsToBuild.com.
"Demand for skilled trade workers is at an all-time high," says Mary Kelly, president/CEO of StrataTech. "When you can meet an industry need, serve your communities, and facilitate life change through education, you have the opportunity to make a real difference. Through this partnership, we can make a difference in the construction industry and the lives of our students."
