Building community partnerships is an integral part of the learning process at NBCC. At the St. Andrews campus, Carpentry, Electrical Construction and Plumbing students put their training to work to build a house for Habitat for Humanity each year.
“It’s a great partnership,” said Blair Price, Department Head for Trades at NBCC St. Andrews. “It makes so much sense for us and so much sense for Habitat for Humanity.”
When students first arrive in September, they see two wooden beams sitting behind the shop area. Those beams, they’re told, will be a house for a family in need by the time the students leave the campus in June.
Throughout the academic year, the students use the practical skills they’ll need in their future careers to build the house from the floor up. Along the way, they find out things about their chosen trades that they can only learn on a real job site. Employers know that they’re hiring tradespeople with practical, hands-on building experience.
Successful community partnerships are key to NBCC’s vision of transforming lives and communities. The Habitat for Humanity project is a perfect example of how our students are making a difference every day.
