In 2012, HBI will look for opportunities to expand its workforce training programs to serve new populations, so they can become skilled, productive members of the home building industry. I also will seek new sources of funding for HBI through foundations, partnerships and private capital support.

HBI’s Residential Construction Academy (RCA) Series of textbooks incorporate key green building competencies students need to progress in their careers. In May 2010, HBI launched “Green Applications for Residential Construction,” a green compendia for each of the titles in the series. In the first quarter of 2013, HBI will issue three new textbooks on Green Building, Solar and Energy Efficiency. All RCA materials are developed to match the ICC700 National Green Building Standard™, the nationally-approved benchmark for green single-family and multifamily homes, site development and residential remodeling projects. The U.S. Department of Labor also recently approved solar and weatherization curriculum for HBI’s Job Corps programs nationwide.

Safety is the foundation of all HBI training, and all HBI programs use the HBI Safety & Health Handbook and the Institute Safety Talks provided by the HBI Safety & Health Board. The HBI Safety & Health Handbook contains policies, procedures, programs and forms about a myriad of safety topics including personal protective equipment, basic tool and equipment use and job hazard analysis. The Institute Safety Talks are a series of talks that can be used to facilitate construction safety meetings and can be used as quick reference guides on the job site.