NHE Grants Support 8 Universities' Workforce Development Goals

Workforce Development

Published Mar 31, 2025

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The National Housing Endowment (NHE), NAHB’s philanthropic arm, created its Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP) to encourage the development of residential construction programs at academic institutions to address the current issues in home building, including increasing the number of qualified college graduates able to enter the workforce.

Since 2006, NHE has partnered with 46 colleges and universities in the U.S. and committed over $5.9 million in grants, increasing the visibility of the residential construction industry.

This year, there are eight HELP grant recipients:

Appalachian State will create a Practitioner in Residence position to teach Residential Construction Management (RCM) courses and serve as the faculty advisor for their NAHB Student Chapter and Competition team, create a major elective to receive course credit for participating in the competition, and create a certificate program in RCM.
Auburn University will develop material for teaching its residential construction course, establish its student chapter and develop relations with the local, state and national-level HBAs to develop internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Clemson University will develop an undegraduate minor in RCM and a graduate certificate in Residential Construction and Development, and develop construction profession awareness at local high schools.
Mississippi State University will enhance its curriculum to focus more on residential construction, create an NAHB student chapter to strengthen its industry connections and increase industry outreach and recruitment initiatives.
Missoula College of the University of Montana will hire a professor to deliver RCM coursework, allow full online delivery of RCM courses and increase student engagement in residential interships, job placement and student chapters.
The University of Missouri will develop residential courses, certificates and housing education and research initiatives as well as upgrade its Building Tech Lab.
The University of North Florida will visit prefabrication and modular construction sites to examine best practices and current methods and develop a new residential course curriculum.
The University of Oklahoma will expand its Entrepreneurship and Real Estate Development certificate, support undergraduate and graduate industry research and provide education and exposure in homebuilding to faculty members.