The Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot received an excellent review Friday from Bob Jones, president of the National Association of Home Builders. Jones and NAHB vice-president Wayne Foster were in Minot for Friday's state meeting of the North Dakota Home Builders.
One of their stops included a tour of the Job Corps' carpentry shop. They were accompanied by Bruce Walker, a life director with the Minot Association of Builders.
"Part of the National Home Builders is the Home Builder's Institute, which is a training program for young people," explained Walker. "HBI is the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders. Bob and Wayne wanted to see what was going on at our HBI site here in Minot."
Michael Frank, Burdick Job Corps instructor, conducted the tour and gave a brief overview of what students are offered through carpentry classes at Job Corps. Jones was getting his first look at the Minot facility and the program, which has produced lasting results for many students.
"It's very impressive, particularly for a group of people who come in here and have an excellent opportunity for training," said Jones. "These young people can go out and really earn a wonderful living with the training they are getting here. To see them in action, and how the trainers involve the trainees, is very impressive."
Walker also voiced his pleasure at the quality of training Job Corps students were receiving and at the local success of the HBI program.
"It's life-changing for some of these young people here," said Walker. "Mike Frank and his program do a great job in preparing these young people to go out in the work world."
Jones, a developer from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has closely tracked building trends throughout the United States during his service with NAHB. He expressed concern over the length of the current building slump in the United States.
"With what's happening in terms of our economy across the whole country, we obviously have issues," said Jones. "We're doing all we can to hopefully change and correct and do the kinds of things that will help, not only our members, but people in the United States of America. Across the country they were saying maybe two years and the economy would start to come back very quickly. It's now to a point where we're up to three years."
Coming from Michigan, a state where unemployment is among the highest in the country, Jones said he is particularly struck with how well North Dakota's economy is doing in comparison to the rest of the states. He said he intended to include some North Dakota success stories in his remarks to the state's Home Builders.
"You know what area is doing well? North Dakota," stated Jones. "It's very impressive what North Dakota is doing. I'm going to take some of that information back to the national association as well. You are doing a terrific job compared to some of the other states across the country."
