Developing the workforce involves making connections with local public school districts and community programs to engage, inform, train, and recruit potential workers. Use the following resources to get started.

School District Letter of Introduction Sample

Use this draft letter for Home Builders Associations to use to introduce our industry to school administrators, CTE professionals, community leaders and other interested parties.

Click here for a Draft Letter in PDF format.

Homebuilding A to Z Powerpoint Presentation

This power point presentation can be shown to students, organizations, or on a loop at a Career Fair.

This document shows:

1. Construction sequence of a home from start to finish
2. Earning income potential in residential construction
3. The critical demand for residential employment in Texas

Click here to download the Presentation PDF.

Host a Construction Career Day

Most construction career day events include multiple contractors from the area (or even the state) and give students exposure to many of the different construction trade jobs available to them.

Build Your Future (BYF) has created a packet to provide guidance on how to plan, organize and execute a construction career day. It also provides a wide variety of resources including exploring careers in construction and how to get involved.

• Document: How to Plan a Career Day (PDF)
• Document: Signing Up Students for the Construction Trades Editorial (PDF)

Career Fair Example -----> San Antonio High School (watch video)

Publicizing your construction training program is an important step to spreading awareness about the importance of workforce development across the state.

Here are some tips when creating and sharing promotional materials across multiple platforms:

• Get full names and titles when taking photos
• Testimonials from students and CTE professionals are key
• Reach out to local and state news outlets with a full description of the work & why it matters
• Reach out to the TAB workforce development team to share pictures and opportunities that can be shared on our website and in digital and print publications.

Student Testimony Video Examples from Construction Careers Academy

Construction Careers Academy – A. Chavez
Construction Careers Academy - Luke Burk
Construction Careers Academy - Baby Blue Rodriguez

Casa Uber Alles

Tiny Homes High School Construction Education Program

Casa Über Alles empowers today’s generation of students with skills in the building trades through real-world construction projects.

They work with Fredericksburg high school students and local builders, trade partners, and suppliers who serve as mentors.

More about Casa Über Alles at:

• High School Building Trades website
• Facebook

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education in the State of Texas. 

• School District Locator
  The Texas School District Locator (SDL) provides basic information for Texas schools, districts, and education service centers (ESCs) in map format. It also provides school district information, district accountability ratings, and enrollment and performance reports in text format.
• Texas CTE Resource Center Architecture and Construction Career Cluster
  ​The Architecture and Construction Career Cluster page on TXCTE.org provides comprehensive resources for educators and students interested in careers within this sector. Key sections include:​

  • Programs of Study: Detailed outlines of statewide programs such as Architectural Design, Carpentry, Construction Management and Inspection, Electrical, HVAC and Sheet Metal, Masonry, and Plumbing and Pipefitting. These programs offer coherent course sequences and alignment recommendations.

  • Teacher Resources: Access to scope and sequence documents, lesson plans, course pages, and other instructional materials tailored to architecture and construction education.

  • Professional Associations: Information on relevant organizations such as the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), which provide networking opportunities and industry insights.

  • Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs): Details about student organizations that support career development in architecture and construction fields.

  • Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Resources: Links to resources provided by the TWC to support career exploration and workforce readiness in this sector.
• Industry-Based Certification for Public School Accountability
  ​The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released an updated list of industry-based certifications (IBCs) for public school accountability, effective from the 2022–2023 school year and applicable to accountability ratings in August 2024.
  

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state agency that oversees and provides workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. There are many resources available through TWC to support businesses and employers invested in workforce development.

• Texas Wages & Employment Projections (webpage)
• Eligible Training Providers (webpage) 
  Eligible Training Providers (ETPs) are organizations that offer training programs. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds the ETP programs.
  
• Employer Engagement and Community Outreach Regions map (PDF)
• Skills Development Fund (website)
• Apprenticeship Initiative (webpage)
• Skills Development Fund (webpage)
• Skills for Small Business Program (webpage)
• Self Sufficiency Fund Program (webpage)
• High Demand Job Training Program (webpage)
• Texas Industry Partnership Program (webpage)
• Workforce Development Board Directory (PDF)

There are many post secondary education programs that potential workers can earn an industry related certification through. 

• Collin County College (website)
  • Construction Project Management
• Houston Community College (website)
  • Construction Management Technology
  • Drafting & Design Engineering Technology
  • Electrical Technology
  • Heating, Air Condition & Refrigeration
  • Machining Technology
  • Manufacturing Engineering Technology
  • Welding Technology
• Lone Star College (website)
  • Construction Supervision
  • Construction Trades
  • HVAC
  • Welding
  • Inspection Technology
  • Land Surveying & Mapping Technology
• Texas State Technical College (TSTC) (website)
  • Electrical construction
  • Plumbing & pipefitting technology
  • HVAC Technology
  • Building Construction Technology
  • solar Energy Technology
  • Drafting & Design
• WorkTexas – Houston (website)
  • Welding
  • Electrical (both residential & commercial)
  • Carpentry/home building
  • Building maintenance
  • Plumbing
  • HVAC
• Home Builders Institute (HBI) BuildStrong Academy – Houston (website)

Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is the only state-supported multi campus technical college in Texas. TSTC offers highly specialized academic course work in occupationally oriented programs, while preparing students for advanced and emerging technical and vocational areas.

Below you will find a list of the TSTC campuses that offer coursework in major residential construction specialty areas.

TSTC Abilene

HVAC Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology

TSTC Breckenridge

Building Construction Technology, HVAC Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology, Electrical Construction

TSTC Brownwood

Building Construction technology, HVAC Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology, Electrical Construction

TSTC Fort Bend County

Building Construction technology, HVAC Technology

TSTC Harlingen

Building Construction technology, HVAC Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology

TSTC Marshall

Building Construction Technology

TSTC New Braunfels

Building Construction Technology

TSTC North Texas

Building Construction Technology, HVAC Technology

TSTC Sweetwater

Building Construction Technology

TSTC Waco

Building Construction Technology, HVAC Technology, Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology, Electrical Construction

TSTC Williamson County

HVAC Technology

The Texas Builders Foundation is the 501 (c)(3) charitable arm of the Texas Association of Builders.

Established in 2010, the foundation's mission is to support and develop the future of the residential construction workforce and facilitate charitable activities of the residential construction industry.

Texas Builders Foundation Grants

The Texas Builders Foundation offers grants of up to $10,000 to schools and organizations to support the purchase of tools and/or equipment for use in their construction trades programs. Grants may also go towards the purchase of tools to award construction trades students who have excelled in their training program.

Texas Builders Foundation Scholarships

Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships to students who are enrolled in construction programs in Texas’ technical and trade schools, colleges and universities and who are pursing a career in the building industry. Scholarships are awarded in the spring for the upcoming fall semester.

Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 school year are now closed.

The Texas Association of Builders Professional Women in Building Council annually awards scholarships to women that are in pursuit of, or looking to further a career in the residential construction industry.

Applicants must:

1. Be a woman.
2. Have been accepted in or is enrolled for the next term for a residential construction related certification, license, credential or degree.
3. Demonstrate an interest in obtaining employment in the residential homebuilding industry upon graduation.

Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 school year are now closed.