Home Builder Academy Hopes To Ease Construction Labor Shortage
DENVER (CBS4) - With the construction boom in Denver, labor is getting harder and harder to come by. To help, an industry-led partnership has come up with a way to train workers quickly and efficiently.
The Colorado Homebuilding Academy is offering free, eight week courses that teach students the skills they need to immediately join a work crew.
Michael Smith, the director of the academy, says they're trying to find anybody who has a genuine interest in entering construction. The school is located in north Denver and has room for students to practice what they learn and get the hands on experience they need.
"You're going to start learning how to use a tape measure, review a little math, learn how to use hand tools, power tools ... you're going to build things in our lab so you feel comfortable in that environment," he told CBS4's Dominic Garcia.
Eileen Herrera, a veteran, says she's motivated by the prospect of a full-time job.
"This is something I thought would be advantageous for me ... I would like to do safety. I think safety is my field of expertise," said Herrera.
Michael Smith says their classes keep growing and growing and students can walk into jobs that pay between $15-$17, and go up from there.
"It's everybody working together to create an effective ecosystem to build our workforce for construction."
For more information on the Colorado Homebuilding Academy you can visit cohomebuildingacademy.org.
Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.
