Building Talent Foundation (BTF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the residential construction talent pool, announced a collaboration with the Lennar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Lennar Corp. As part of their collaboration, the organizations will work together to empower unemployed youth at risk and adults with barriers to employment to acquire sought-after job skills and find career opportunities in the construction industry. Lennar Foundation’s $2 million investment over two years in BTF is the largest contribution received to date by the nonprofit.
The Lennar Foundation’s primary purpose is to provide avenues for a diverse group of underserved persons to enter or reenter mainstream society, according to Lennar. The organization helps high school dropouts, high school graduates, returning veterans, unhoused individuals, kids in foster care and the juvenile justice system, and adults returning from serving time for nonviolent crimes by funding various construction skills certification programs.
“We’re pleased to work with the Building Talent Foundation to bring more underserved people into home building careers. Helping people who may not be able to help themselves is in the DNA of Lennar,” says Marshall Ames, chairman of the Lennar Foundation. “Our joint programs will strengthen communities.”
BTF was established in 2019 by Leading Builders of America, an association of the 20 largest home builders, including Lennar. In its 10 active markets across Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, BTF supports young people and people from underrepresented groups with career coaching and job search assistance toward careers in home building. The skilled labor shortage has become more pronounced in the construction industry over the past few years, with recent research from the Home Builders Institute suggesting the industry needs an additional 2.2 million new hires from 2022 through 2024 to keep up with demand.
“By working closely together, we will impact more lives,” said Branka Minic, CEO of BTF. “With Lennar Foundation’s support, BTF will quickly enter additional markets in Georgia, North Carolina, and California, and scale up its programs in Texas. We look forward to collaborating with all Lennar Foundation’s training partners to connect their graduates with BTF employer partners. Lennar Foundation’s grant will propel BTF fast-forward toward our vision of creating a sustainable residential construction workforce by 2030.”
The collaboration with Lennar follows shortly after the BTF announced a partnership with the SkillePointe Foundation. Under the partnership, BTF will provide career coaching and job placement services at no cost to SkillPointe scholarship recipients seeking residential construction industry jobs. BTF entered a similar partnership with the Southern Careers Institute in Texas in early November.
