Industry support builds potential for the workforce of the future, and the driving factor for the Donald Chaiken Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA). Industry support that includes being a guest speaker, providing site visits, mentoring a BITA graduate and more. With 50+ BITA campuses in California, there is an immense opportunity for you to make a difference, empower a student and help ensure curriculum relevance, quality, and consistency.
Donate an hour of your time to teach students about your organization and profession. All titles and trades from construction managers, engineers, architects, marketers and designers, to suppliers, contractors, framers, and electricians, are needed to bring their experience and knowledge into construction classrooms.
Speakers make a significant contribution to the program and can have an impact on a future workforce through bringing awareness of the industry and its limitless career opportunities within. As a speaker and role model, your enthusiasm for your career demonstrates commitment, hard work, and experience in your field, all which can motivate a student to pursue a career in construction. By educating and inspiring students about the industry, you are helping provide a talented, confident workforce and guiding students toward a fulfilling career in the industry.
Students understand the value of education when they experience tangible outcomes. Invite a local Donald Chaiken– BITA class to visit your organization or jobsite to show them the day-to-day operations of the homebuilding industry or a specific construction trade.
On-site project fieldtrips give students a chance to think about and see firsthand the reality the activity of an office or homebuilding site from a different perspective. Site visits allow students to learn from partaking in activities and real-life training. Hands-on education gives students both the freedom and responsibility to learn through actual experience. Students learn better when they are actively engaged in their learning journey.
Gaining work experience is an essential aspect in starting a young person’s career. Employers can hire a full-time employee or set up an internship program at their organization for one of our Donald Chaiken - BITA gradates or Foundation scholarship recipients.
Internships are a great learning opportunity for both students and employers. Internships provide hands-on training, work experience, people skills, time management, teamwork, and work ethic for the student; while Employers benefit by providing the opportunity to meet and evaluate potential employees, bring new energy and fresh perspectives to the workplace and create opportunities for existing workers to develop supervisory skills while promoting an understanding of the company culture.
Design Build is a two-day event involving teams from the Donald Chaiken– BITA high schools, other local high schools and community colleges all competing to build their own structure.
Design Builds are co-hosted by the California Homebuilding Foundation and the Construction Industry Education Foundation. Teams are challenged to design, prepare construction documents and build a 96 square-foot structure. Teams build their structure during a two-day competition and are judged by industry professionals on design completion, construction, code compliance, and safety. Industry can participate by attending a competition, acting as competition judges, recruiting students as potential employees, or by donating in-kind materials to be used at competitions.
BITA students complete countless projects throughout the school year, including a year-end capstone project to showcase their knowledge and skills.
In-kind contributions are donations of goods or services instead of cash. Giving away something that has already been bought or made is a hassle-free way for you to help a student. An in-kind donation is a mutually beneficial transaction, gifting an item you have an excess of or will no longer use to a program in need of training materials. Tangible goods needed include lumber (new or used), materials and tools, such as roofing, 4x4's, nails, hammers, and personal protective equipment.
The California Homebuilding Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID# 94-2581819.
BITA Instructors meet bi-annually as a group to share best practices, discuss curriculum updates, and learn new standard practices and updated building codes from industry. Industry can participate in these meetings to share their knowledge and experience, as well as network with instructors.
Instructors are the direct link to the up-and-coming workforce; they build potentials for the workforce of the future, having the right talent and skillset in place and empowering people to work in new ways. They are providing hands-on training, developing lectures and projects, preparing curriculum, educating students on careers, and offering one-on-one instruction when needed.
Our trainings are a great way to keep instructors engaged with industry and keeping the curriculum relevant, so students are work-ready and knowledgeable of current industry standards when they enter the workforce.
