Google.org Backs Skilled Trades Training for Veterans

The Home Builders Institute (HBI) will use the funding to bolster its 12-week, tuition-free training programs currently operating at 10 Department of Defense SkillBridge sites, including Fort Bragg and Camp Pendleton. Participants gain hands-on experience in carpentry and electrical work, earning industry-recognized credentials that lead to an average starting wage exceeding $23 an hour. With an 87% job-placement rate, these programs serve as a vital pipeline for veterans seeking to translate their discipline and leadership into sustainable civilian roles.

This initiative arrives as the construction sector struggles to fill a massive talent gap, with research indicating a need for 700,000 additional workers annually to keep pace with demand. By expanding training cohorts and job placement support, HBI and Google.org intend to address the $10.8 billion annual cost the labor shortage imposes on the economy. HBI joins Hiring Our Heroes and Student Veterans of America as recipients of this latest funding round, further integrating military talent into the backbone of the American building industry.