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The Career Pathway Program is going on its second round.
Naples-based homebuilder BCB Homes launched the program in 2021 to address labor shortages in the homebuilding industry. Acting as a sort of labor pool, the company brought on four new individuals.
“The program teaches participants the fundamentals of the industry and helps them gain experience in the major aspects of construction,” Jon Bremseth, director of education and training, says in a press release. “It is a BCB Homes investment in future employees.”
The program starts with six weeks of learning estate management so trainees know how to maintain a property. Then there are 16 weeks of field operations and building sciences, 15 weeks of pre-construction and estimating and 15 weeks of project management.
It’s open to current employees but also available to students across the state. BCB Homes received 12 applications for the first group before selecting the four who were hired. The trainees are paid during the program, including benefits and retirement.
“The goals of this program are simple. The more exposure, understanding, and knowledge an employee has about BCB Homes, our culture, and our building process, the more valuable they become to the company,” Bremseth says. “As the professionals progress through the program, they begin to find a ‘fit’ within BCB Homes that align with their interests and skills."
After the yearlong program has concluded, the company extends a full-time job offer that’s dependent on the participants experience, preference and professional fit with the company.
The program was originally started by Bill McCollum, chief estimator.
“The idea was to find a way to improve the labor force within our market knowing that there was a demand for individuals in the construction industry,” McCollum says in a statement. “We had to figure out a way to attract young adults coming out of high school and college that may not have a true career direction and how we could better assist them and provide opportunities within the industry.”
Many of the individuals in the current program, which started in 2022, are expected to receive full-time jobs offers in June 2023 when the program concludes.
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