The building industry is booming—creating strong demand for skilled workers to support construction teams and contractors. To help meet this growing need, The Home Builders Institute (HBI) offers tuition-free Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) in the home building industry, industry-recognized certifications, and employability and job placement assistance for individuals interested in careers in the residential construction industry.
For over 50 years, HBI has been a trusted leader in training America’s residential construction workforce. For the past 16 years, HBI has partnered with NOCTI to provide certification and skill verification for student learners. This collaboration offers a valuable head start as they transition from education to the workforce.
HBI’s impactful programs address two critical needs: equipping individuals with the skills and education for rewarding careers and helping to reduce the labor shortage in the residential construction industry.
HBI’s PACT Programs Build a Solid Foundation
As the nation’s leading CTE resource for the building industry, HBI partners with prominent national organizations like the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL), the National Association of Home Builders, The Home Depot Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity. In 2024 alone, HBI reached more than 21,000 students through its various programs.
Maria Lewis, HBI’s Director of Training & Quality Assurance, emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the training, “They’ve been taught safety, they’ve been taught how to identify tools and materials,” and adds that it’s much more than that: “They’re learning life skills and job readiness skills that prepare them for entry-level positions in the construction industry.”
To support students in successfully entering this high-demand field, HBI delivers its Pre-Apprentice Certificate Training (PACT) program through five core pillars of instruction:
- Job Corps: For 50 years, HBI has partnered with Job Corps to train young adults for careers.
- Community & Corrections: This program serves underserved and underemployed communities, justice-involved youth, and individuals re-entering society.
- Military Services: As service members transitioning out of the military, veterans, and their dependents, this program helps prepare them for successful civilian careers.
- Future Builders of America (FBA): FBA introduces students to a variety of careers through technical training and hands-on experience, while creating local employment connections.
- BuildStrong Academies: This initiative includes academies across the U.S. and Puerto Rico where students receive training, mentorship, and job placement support in residential construction trades.
Several HBI programs follow an “open entry, skilled exit” model, allowing learners to begin training at any time and continue until they meet the established skill standards. To successfully complete the program, students must demonstrate proficiency in key competencies and pass the NOCTI assessment, according to Lewis.
Through a blend of hands-on learning and classroom instruction, students gain technical knowledge across a wide range of topics– from basic construction math and sustainable building practices to tool use, maintenance, and trade-specific skills such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry, and HVAC. With such comprehensive training, students need a reliable way to verify their skills and abilities—this is where NOCTI’s partnership with HBI plays a critical role.
HBI Certifications Highlight Future Builders’ Skills and Confidence
Credentialing assessments provide a meaningful and actionable way to measure student progress. These assessments showcase a learner’s strengths, ranging from technical knowledge to essential soft skills such as communication and professionalism. Earning a certification not only verifies a learner’s capabilities but also signals their value to potential employers who recognize that certified candidates are prepared to succeed on the job.
“When they have this certification, it is giving them a step up when they go into job interviews and into the field, because it’s an industry-recognized certification,” says Maria Lewis. In fact, the HBI assessments delivered through NOCTI are recognized by more than 140,000 members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Assessments are created in collaboration with subject matter experts and reflect current industry standards, ensuring the assessments are both fair and reliable.
NOCTI is the proud delivery partner of sixteen HBI credentialing assessments, covering everything from foundational construction principles to advanced and trade-specific assessments.
HBI and FBA Create a Conduit for Students Entering Skilled Trades
The HBI assessments, available through NOCTI, are primarily used for high school CTE programs like Future Builders of America (FBA), one of HBI’s cornerstone initiatives. Leigh Hallas, HBI’s Senior Marketing & Communications Officer, explains that FBA students gain more than technical knowledge—they gain confidence. “It’s an introduction to them, they’re not all going to become contractors as soon as they get their certificate, but now they have a skill set that most of their peers don’t have. They’re armed with that skill and that confidence—probably the most important thing is that confidence that they gain.”
For too long, high school students have heard the message “You have to go to college so you can make a good living.” Lewis acknowledges that while college is the right path for some, skilled trades offer equally valuable—and often overlooked—opportunities. Many careers in construction often offer competitive wages, long-term stability, and are in high demand.
“It is a lucrative, promising, sustainable career path” adds Hallas.
No matter their path or specialty, FBA students represent a powerful solution to the skilled labor gap in the trades—benefiting both the next generation of workers and the employers who hire them.
Add Concrete Value to Your CTE Program with Credentialing Assessments
One powerful way learners can demonstrate their growth—both to themselves and to the world—is through comprehensive CTE assessments. NOCTI’s in-depth scoring provides clear, actionable feedback, helping students and instructors identify strengths and pinpoint areas of improvement.
This feedback is incredibly valuable: It allows students to take pride in their accomplishments, earn an industry-recognized certification, and confidently showcase their abilities to future employers. For CTE programs, it also offers insights that can help enhance and refine the curriculum for even greater impact.
If you’d like to see how the HBI assessments offered through NOCTI can elevate your program and better prepare students for successful careers, we’d love to connect. Whether you are looking for existing skill assessments or seeking to develop custom solutions, our team is here to support your goals.