Simpson Strong-Tie announced the expansion of its Construction Trades Support program with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. The program was formerly held once a year but, moving forward, events will take place twice yearly, with an expanded agenda that includes hands-on activities in the plumbing and electrical trades. The second leg of the program will expand on the opportunities for participants who are highly motivated to pursue a trades career, and includes a build day with Habitat, according to Simpson Strong-Tie.
“We’re proud to partner with Simpson Strong-Tie on this continually expanding program,” Janice Jensen, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, said in a news release. “By offering construction trades education to students throughout the Bay Area, Simpson Strong-Tie is actively supporting the next generation of skilled tradespeople who are critical to the efforts of creating a world where everyone has access to housing.”
The goal of the program is to promote interest in the building trades as a viable and rewarding career path for youth and for individuals who have recently been out of the workforce, according to Simpson Strong-Tie.
“Expanding the trades talent pool with motivated and enthusiastic individuals helps us serve our industry at large, and also enables Simpson Strong-Tie to demonstrate our commitment to construction trades education—one of our social impact priorities,” Simpson Strong-Tie board member and CEO Karen Colonias said. “It is vital to the future of the building industry that we develop programs and opportunities to support these potential tradespeople on their professional journey.”
In previous iterations of the program, workshops, presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities included plumbing pipe soldering and cutting and electrical wiring. In future events, HVAC and other trade disciplines will be represented and a potential mini-job fair will be held for the participants.
