Alabama Home Builders and Gadsden State graduate 11 carpentry students
Heath McDaniel, left, carpentry instructor at Gadsden State; Lynn White, second from right, carpentry instructor at Job Corps; and Taylor Burton, right, past state president of the Home Builders Association of Alabama, are pictured with the graduating class. Gadsden State Community College and the Home Builders Association of Alabama partnered together for a unique six-week certification program for student carpenters. The College and HBAA hosted the free classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in February and March 2017 at the Valley Street Campus.
The classes provided classroom instruction, theory and
hands-on time in the shop lab for three-hour class meetings each evening. The 11 students graduated in March 2017 with a Basic Residential Carpentry Certificate.
During the program, the students built a utility building with
six-foot walls constructed by 2-by-4 studs. It had 4/12 pitch shingle roof with unfinished pine siding on the exterior. It had a six-foot door on the front and a window on one side.
These students are helping to fill a void in Alabama’s workforce. According to Go Build Alabama, the construction industry is projected to grow by 19 percent through 2018 and each year in Alabama, there are over 2,875 construction job openings. For every four people who leave the trades, only one replacement is supplied by apprenticeship programs.
“The students who complete this particular program earn a certificate and can use these valuable skills to enter the residential carpentry workforce,” said Heath McDaniel, instructor. “By getting their certification, these students are increasing their earning potential and supporting workforce development in our state.”
Besides the certificate sponsored by HBAA, Gadsden State offers short-term certificates in Basic Carpentry and Advanced Carpentry. The programs are designed to equip students who successfully complete the program with the necessary skills to qualify for an entry-level or better position as a carpenter in residential or commercial construction.
For more information, contact Heath McDaniel, carpentry instructor, at 256-549-8675 or hmcdaniel@gadsdenstate.edu. Visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/technical/carpentry.
Alabama Home Builders Association
Carpentry Program
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gadsdenstate.edu | 1001 George Wallace Drive | Gadsden, AL 35903 | 256.549.8200 | @gadsdenstate