Local builders support high school program

A lingering impact of the Great Recession of the late 2000s is a labor shortage in the construction industry. An estimated 1.4 million workers lost their jobs when builders were forced to lay off workers and even close their businesses. Thousands of those workers were in metropolitan Las Vegas. Despite the economic recovery, many former construction workers aren’t coming back to the homebuilding industry. They found satisfying work in new industries. Some retrained to work in commercial and industrial construction.

That’s why the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association is pleased to throw its support behind a relatively new program in our community – the local chapter of the ACE Mentor Program of America.

ACE Mentors of Southern Nevada recently hosted an informational session for local building industry professionals who are interested in participating in the high school student mentorship program in metropolitan Las Vegas.

Quite a number of association members were on hand for the session. In fact, several association members are involved as chapter sponsors and board members. They include Kent Barber of LR Nelson Consulting Engineers, Chad Scuncio of Simpson Strong-Tie, John Zanoni of Gallina LLP and Wright Engineers.

Industry professionals volunteer to introduce students to real-world experiences, and teach skills and techniques related to problem-solving and design. High school students who complete the program and choose careers in one of the ACE fields are eligible for ACE scholarships, and have valuable networking opportunities to help them succeed after graduation. The industry professionals come from the following fields: architects, civil engineers, construction managers, electrical engineers, environmental engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, mechanical engineers and structural engineers. The program also includes college and university representatives.

Education goes beyond textbooks. By working with professionals in real work environments, the ACE students receive a valuable hands-on training. They learn to understand the day-to-day workings of a business by experiencing it, not just reading about it or watching a video about it.

ACE is a national program with roots going back to the 1990s on the East Coast. ACE now has a presence in more than 200 cities across the country, and continues to add more cities, such as metro Las Vegas. More than 8,000 students participate annually nationwide. High school students have received more than $14 million in ACE scholarships to continue their construction-related educations at a higher level.

By cultivating the construction professionals of the future, programs such as ACE are a win-win for industry, students and our community.

Send your questions or comments about new homes to monica@snhba.com. We will try to answer as many questions as we can given space and time limitations and constraints. For more information about SNHBA, visit www.snhba.com.

Frank Wyatt, a principal at Pinnacle Homes in Las Vegas, is the 2016 president of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association. He’s been involved in the local homebuilding industry since 1982.