International Education Corporation (IEC) and the Building Talent Foundation (BTF) have partnered in a new effort aimed at helping students at IEC schools in Arizona, Florida, and Texas connect with future employers.
The partnership will provide a wide range of networking, employment, and continuing education support to students graduating from skilled trades programs in order to address the severe talent shortage affecting the residential construction trades – trades such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Electrical Technician.
“The Building Talent Foundation seeks to address the severe and persistent talent shortage across skilled trades by improving talent supply, training, and retention,” said Branka Minic, CEO of BTF. “Founded by the 20 leading residential construction companies in the U.S. in 2019, BTF brings together employers, educators, and all other market players in regional skills collaborations to catalyze, accelerate, and synchronize joint projects for building the sector’s workforce of the future.”
“At BTF, our mission is to advance the education, training, and career progression of young people and people from underrepresented groups so they can advance in the skilled trades. One way we do this is by serving as a line of communication between companies and training providers,” Minic said. “This new partnership aligns with that mission and will allow BTF to work with UEI College and Florida Career College to strengthen the pipeline of well-trained workers in skilled trades.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the Building Talent Foundation to support our students in the skilled trade programs,” said Joan Yourstone, Vice President of Career Services at IEC. “Working with BTF will allow us to create a strong link with local employers to better understand their hiring and training needs, and ultimately benefit students.”
The new partnership will create several benefits for students, including on-campus recruitment events with BTF partner employers; access to BTF’s JobsToBuild career platform that facilitates connections between job seekers and employers; and developing work-based learning opportunities among BTF partners.
“In addition to these wonderful benefits to our students, IEC also welcomes the collaboration with BTF and partners to ensure that our curricula remain timely and relevant through Program Advisory Committees,” said Dr. Fardad Fateri, IEC President & CEO. “We take great pride in our training programs, which are hands-on, practitioner-oriented, career-focused, and developed by subject matter experts who are being advised directly by industry leaders through these committees.”
Last year, leaders at Florida Career College in Orlando worked with the Building Talent Foundation to develop a special training module in the HVAC program designed specifically to meet the needs of Strada Services. The resulting enhancements to the HVAC curriculum, and the building of a new on-campus simulation lab that provides additional hands-on training for students, has to-date led to 15 FCC graduates being hired by Strada.
“Being able to work with a school to help train qualified candidates who are taught the core skills that we need is a tremendous opportunity for us,” said CEO Joe Strada.
About Building Talent Foundation
Building Talent Foundation (BTF) is a non-profit organization founded by the Leading Builders of America, 20 of the largest residential construction companies in the United States. BTF's mission is to advance the education, training, and career progression of young people and people from underrepresented groups, helping them develop into skilled technical workers and business owners in residential construction. For more information, visit buildingtf.org.
About International Education Corporation
Since 1982, International Education Corporation (IEC) has been a national leader in postsecondary career education, offering short-term career training programs in high-demand verticals such as healthcare, skilled trades, business, technology, and criminal justice. Headquartered in Irvine, California, IEC is the parent company for Florida Career College, U.S. Colleges, United Education Institute, and UEI College. As an employee-owned organization, International Education Corporation and its subsidiaries are dedicated to the success of our students, our employees, and the communities we serve. We strive to drive personal and community transformation by empowering students to make a positive and enduring life change. We do this by preparing our students with the knowledge and skills they need — both personal and professional — to work in today’s most promising and in-demand career fields. To learn more visit ieccolleges.com.