Goodwill Industries of North Florida has opened the GoodTrades Center in Jacksonville, Florida, with educational support from Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) and the Home Builders Institute (HBI).
The new facility offers students the Construction Basics Training (NCCER) course, enabling participants to earn their credential before advancing into free residential carpentry training or plumbing training classes. The first cohort to take the course in the new space graduated in August.
The need for skilled trade laborers remains of vital importance for the construction industry. According to the HBI’s most recent Construction Labor Market Report, the industry needs to hire 723,000 workers per year to keep up with the pace of demand. This represents a need for an additional 2.17 million adjusted net hires. Among specific trades, the HBI estimates the industry needs approximately 9,100 new carpenters per year.
As part of Goodwill of North Florida’s adult education initiative, A-STEP, the GoodTrades Center now serves as the primary local site for NCCER courses, as well as residential carpentry and plumbing training programs. Plumbing and carpentry classes will be conducted at the GoodTrades Center while other programs, including welding, HVAC, and electrical training, will be offered at FSCJ.
“There’s a significant labor shortage in the construction and trades industry, and employers are actively looking for skilled candidates to fill their open positions,” David Rey, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of North Florida, said. “Goodwill’s free GoodTrades training programs under A-STEP are designed to prepare individuals for successful careers in these booming fields. These courses provide hands-on experience and industry-recognized certifications to help learners launch their careers and increase their marketability to potential employers.”
The HBI has BuildStrong Academies in Orlando, New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Puerto Rico and enrolled over 21,200 students in 2024, helping nearly 17,000 earn pre-apprenticeship certifications.
The shortage of skilled labor has an estimated economic impact of $10.806 billion per year due to longer construction times, according to a research report produced by the HBI and the University of Denver. The direct annual cost impact of extended timelines amounts to $2.663 billion annually and the shortage has led to a reduction of approximately 19,000 single-family homes not built annually, an economic loss of $8.143 billion.
“This study underscores the urgent need for strategic interventions to address the skilled labor shortage,” NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz said at the time of the report’s publication. “The economic implications are vast, affecting not only the home building industry but also the broader economy.”
