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Building Talent Foundation

March 12, 2021
Brookfield Residential team members at a construction site

To Brookfield Residential, community is everything. At the heart of us is our thriving and talented workforce. Nothing could shine a light on the value of our business and community of talent more than the disruption we all experienced in 2020. Our teams, trades and other partners kept our business moving forward -- providing the communities where we operate with ongoing access to housing during a critical time.

Still, through both disruption and steady state, one of the most serious challenges facing residential construction is a tight supply of skilled workers. A significant factor contributing to the shortfall of talent is the accelerated rate of baby boomers leaving the industry and fewer young people choosing construction as a career path. Industrywide, the reduced pipeline of talent has placed pressure on skilled workers; created roadblocks for builders challenged to meet construction schedules and high consumer demand; and increased housing prices for homebuyers due to the cost of scarce labor.

“There has never been a more important time as now to raise awareness about job opportunities in the home construction industry, and provide training and placement for jobs,” said Alan Norris, Chairman & CEO of the Development Group at Brookfield Properties.

Brookfield Residential team members and construction equipment at a construction site 

With this commitment in mind, Brookfield Residential is proud to have joined forces with Building Talent Foundation (BTF), which was established in 2020 by the Leading Builders of America (LBA), and represents the top 20 homebuilding companies in the US.

BTF is a non-profit group bringing educators, industry and communities together to attract youth – and now those displaced due to the pandemic – to careers in home construction. Its mission is to advance the education, training, and career progression of young people and individuals from underrepresented communities as skilled technical workers and as business owners in residential construction.

While members provided the seed funds to get this foundation started, the intention is to broaden and grow this important initiative, and create a unified effort across the industry. Also, by partnering in this way, BTF is able to harness the marketing abilities of the founding homebuilders to raise awareness of careers in this field and then help foster placement of newly upskilled candidates with any of the trades that work with us.

“Shifting the perceptions about construction that keep new and young workers from considering a career in our industry is important. Together with BTF we’ll clear a path for the next generation to pursue education and skills that align with the demands of modern construction,” said Alan.

“As a business, we have this incredible opportunity to gain further support from suppliers and partners to build this much-needed capacity in the industry, and then connect new skilled talent with jobs in the communities where we operate – and a rewarding career in construction.”

Visit Building Talent Foundation for more information and resources and follow us on LinkedIn for updates, or visit our Careers page.

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