Home Builders Institute Initiates Energy Efficiency/Weatherization and ESL Training

At Home Builders Institute (HBI), we are aware that Hispanics have the highest construction workplace fatality rates caused in part by a language barrier. We understand through our years of experience that workers with limited English proficiency are a danger on today’s Multicultural construction projects.

The lack of proficiency in English, as it relates to terms used in the construction industry, has been a major risk factor for workplace-injury among Hispanics in the work place. The other revealing fact is that almost three-fourths foreign-born Hispanics are not English language proficient.

In an effort to combat literacy with workforce training, HBI developed a new a six-week energy efficiency/weatherization curriculum combined with the ESL training of Sed de Saber® - Construction Edition. This weatherization and ESL curriculum provides students with expert construction instructors and the skill support and reinforcement from professional literacy instructors. The intention of this training is to create an integrated workforce training programs that provide the opportunity to learn English and to receive education targeted directly to employment.

The energy efficiency/weatherization curriculum is designed as a worker-retraining program that specializes in residential weatherization. The ESL curriculum of Sed de Saber - Construction Edition is designed to train the users to understand and speak conversational English at a third-grade level. In addition, Sed de Saber - Construction Edition teaches life skills such as following driving directions, visiting the doctor, going to the pharmacy, filling out forms, etc. The combined training is hands-on, and reinforced with job readiness, computer skills, and employability training.

Upon completion of the weatherization class, the student will receive a national certificate of completion, which is endorsed by the Home Builders Institute (HBI) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as well as by Ferris State University. Each of the graduates will be able to install or make low cost or free improvements to fortify home energy efficiency – a program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

To learn more on how you can participate contact Steve Kramer @ skramer@hbi.org [ return to top ]

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