Pulte Homes Hosts Hard Hat Tour for 47 High School Trade Students in Orange

Students from Mayfield, Eastlake and Willoughby South high schools will swap classrooms for a construction site Thursday, Oct. 15. Pulte Homes of Ohio is hosting a Hard Hat Tour in Orange to mark national Careers in Construction month. The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Canyons subdivision on Averi Lane, which is currently under construction. What students will see A total of 47 students will be divided into six groups. Each group will demonstrate and explain one of the six stages of building a new home. The stops give students a look at how a house comes together from start to finish. About the PACT program The Build Trades Foundation organizes the Hard Hat Tours every year. Its mission is to provide access to an approved construction curriculum and to inspire and prepare the next generation of skilled trades workers. The Home Builder’s Institute’s Pre Apprenticeship Certificate Training program, known as PACT, was introduced at Mayfield High School three years ago. Today it operates in 14 high schools across Northeast Ohio. Nine more schools are on a waiting list for next year. The program introduces students to nine trades. They are carpentry, electrical, HVAC, landscaping, masonry, painting, plumbing, green building and construction technology. PACT classes take place at the high school and in the field. Students learn residential construction skills and receive hands on training for entry level jobs in the building industry. Career centers and vocational schools currently have waiting lists because they cannot meet student demand. “Our efforts are focused on bringing the PACT curriculum back into the individual high schools. We provide funding for the licensing fees; the instructor training fees and tools for the classroom and the students. We also work with the high school to provide onsite learning opportunities and internships,” said Build Trades Foundation Executive Director Brenda Callaghan. Builder looks to future workforce Christian Schneider, vice president of construction operations for Pulte of Ohio, is looking forward to meeting students who could one day work for the company. “Working together on the Hard Hat Tours has given us direct access to the future of the home building industry, and it continues to be a meaningful way to introduce high school students to rewarding and fulfilling career paths in the trades. A collaborative approach helps make this possible, and it strengthens the impact we can have on students by helping them see clearer and more tangible career pathways,” said Schneider. How the foundation is funded Funding for the Build Trades Foundation is supported by the annual Home for the Holidays house raffle, which began in 2020. The event has raised more than $1 million for the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana chapter of Make A Wish. This year’s home is located in Aurora. Tickets cost $100 and are available at www.ahomefortheholidays.org . For more information on the Build Trades Foundation, visit www.buildtrades.org .