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Housing Boom Impacts Bakersfield College's Construction Program

Posted on: Sunday, 16 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Misty Williams, The Bakersfield Californian

Oct. 14--It's not the usual classroom setting.

Instead of sitting at desks, the group of Bakersfield College students stood in a semi-circle on the dusty patch of ground early Thursday morning.

In the next eight months, a 1,300-square-foot house will rise on this small plot of southeast Bakersfield land, now barren except for a couple of dying trees.

And with the help of local contractors, this group of construction technology students will build it.

Bakersfield's housing boom has breathed new life into BC's construction program. It's been around for more than a decade, but the school decided it was time for a course that was more hands-on.

"The building industry is just screaming for workers," said professor Mark Dommer, who's heading up the team.

The plan is to build three houses in the next few years on infill land donated by the city.

Students will learn how to lay concrete, frame a house, install plumbing and other skills in the new course, which started in August.

A labor shortage is the No. 1 crisis homebuilders face nationwide, said Brian Todd with the local Building Industry Association.

And it's a problem across the board in plumbing, carpentry, framing and other specialties.

"It remains a major factor in how quickly we can build houses and how many," Todd said.

Programs like the one at BC teach workers the skills that will help them move up the industry ladder to higher-paying jobs, said local concrete contractor Corky Martinez.

Some may eventually become subcontractors themselves.

"Right now, we're in a pocket that's going to stay busy for a couple years, which is good for these students," he said.

Martinez is one of a number of contractors volunteering time and resources to help with the class.

Many of the students like Cherry Gadberry want to get a general contractor's license.

It's good to get a first-hand look at the basics of building a house, Gadberry said. Each contractor helping out could talk to students for days on end and only scratch the surface, she said.

BC received a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the project.

The houses students build are expected to sell for around $180,000 to $190,000. The money earned will go toward scholarships.

The city's goal is to develop affordable housing for first-time buyers, said Donna Kunz, Bakersfield's economic development director.

Projects like these will not only help employment by teaching skills, but will also help revitalize neighborhoods, Kunz said.

"I think it's exciting to see the older areas of town getting this facelift," she said.

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To see more of The Bakersfield Californian, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bakersfield.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Bakersfield Californian

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Source: The Bakersfield Californian

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