MOBILE — Goodwill Gulf Coast and the South Alabama Homebuilding Academy marked the launch of a new tuition-free construction training program Jan. 8 at Goodwill's McMaken Building.

The eight-week Construction Skills Boot Camp is designed to provide free, hands-on training for people 17 and older seeking a career in the residential construction industry.

Barry Reed Jr., CEO of Goodwill Gulf Coast, said the program aligns with the organization's mission of workforce development by helping participants move beyond short-term employment.

"Jobs is one of the foundational things that Goodwill is a part of, is finding people a job," Reed said. "But this one goes a step further because we're trying to go beyond a job and help people find a career."

Participants can choose from five trade-specific tracks — roofing, plumbing, carpentry, electrical and HVAC — as part of a curriculum that includes 16 classes covering basic skills, safety training and trade instruction. Students can earn a six-hour HBAA Safety 6 worksite safety certification and will also have access to Goodwill's career counseling and job placement services, including a job fair at the end of the program.

Reed said Goodwill's role extends beyond training by providing support services to help participants succeed long-term.

"What makes the partnership so great is Goodwill doing the intake of these students," he said. "We're going to be able to help them provide all the wraparound services."

Robert Collins, president of the South Alabama Homebuilding Academy board, said the program comes at a critical time for the construction industry, which is facing workforce shortages.

"For every five people that get out, we have only been gaining one person," Collins said. "So, it's going to be hard to sustain that for a long period of time without the trades just going away."

Collins said the initial focus on five core trades reflects current workforce demand in the region.

SAHA plans to offer up to five eight-week cohorts per year, with a maximum of 25 students per class, allowing for 125 seats annually. Collins said interest has already exceeded capacity.

"We have over 400 people that have already shown interest in the class, gone to the info session," he said.

He said the program is designed to remain flexible and grow as demand changes, including adding new trades in the future.

"If somebody has an interest in any of those five trades, they can pick which one they want to go to," Collins said. "If they decide that wasn't their trade, they can come back at no cost again and do any of the other five."

Collins encouraged anyone considering a career change to explore the program.

"The class was designed to get you into a great career where you could go and work anywhere in the country and anywhere in the world with these basic skills," he said. 

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.