Milford High Gets Grant For New Building Trades Class

MILFORD, MA—Milford High School just got a big check from the Skilled Labor Fund through the National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic branch of the National Association of Home Builders.

According to an announcement from the public schools, the grant money is being used to support a first-of-its-kind Building Trades class at Milford High School to provide students with the necessary skills to enter the construction trades right after high school. It'll also help address the shortage of skilled labor entering the residential construction market. The class is a full-year class and available to students in grades 10-12.

"We are very excited to work with the National Housing Endowment’s Skilled Labor Fund to bring this outstanding opportunity to our students,” said Milford High School Principal Josh Otlin in a statement. “The Home Builders Institute’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program (PACT) helps us provide a top-quality program that meets the needs of both our students and our regional economy. Our students are eager for the chance to gain the skills and knowledge that will help them transition from school to career. We want to direct them towards career-pathways where we know there is strong demand and good prospects for growth. The building trades offers just that-- employers are facing current and projected labor shortages in a field with challenging, rewarding, and dynamic jobs. By partnering with a national leader in the field, along with local employers and experts, we were able to quickly bring best-in-class programming to our students in just a few months. Our course was oversubscribed from the day we listed it and our students are excited to be on-board."

Milford High School is also working with the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) as they were also instrumental in helping MHS obtain this grant. BRAGB will be supporting the class by helping secure building materials and local connections in the industry for students enrolled in the course.

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