Business View Magazine March 2023

72 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 through some of its members who are legislators and others directly or indirectly involved with the State Codes and Standards Committee. A third role is education. The association offers education and education resources to members, an essential service in a state that does not mandate licensing or continuing education. “Another core function of the association is marketing our members through trade shows and other initiatives,” Person says. “Specifically the Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show and the Parade of Homes.” This year, the association is considering adding workforce development to help further deepen and develop the construction industry in the area. “Part of our workforce development effort is creating awareness of construction jobs amongst high school students. We are doing this through a student design competition for schools across the state, which many schools have incorporated into their tech ed programs. We also bring in speakers during model presentations and a luncheon later where we talk about careers and how our members got to where they are to build awareness of careers in construction.” The HBRA of Central Connecticut is focused on creating partnerships to bring value to its members, including working with manufacturers and counterpart industries to find unique opportunities and provide resources and education. Besides these partnerships, the association also works with trade associations, some of which it is affiliated with, like the National Association of Homebuilders and the Homebuilders Association of Connecticut. Looking ahead, the HBRA of Central Connecticut will continue to serve as a valued partner in advocating for members of the state legislature and regulatory agencies. The association also plans to hold a market roundtable to discuss the changes in consumer demands, especially in light of a possible economic recession, and continue providing resources to members on workforce development, education, and timely legislative activities. Two challenges it hopes to tackle are the electrification of houses as the state moves away from fossil fuels, which will require an incremental shift based on demand and resources. The other is a rapidly aging workforce, with the median age of plumbers and electricians being fifty, which might worsen the current skilled trades labor shortages if more workforce development is not done. “Since the association’s founding in 1944, we’ve continued to evolve into a new model that will be supportive, provide independence and keep the unique culture of the associations and trades groups we work with while providing more value and resources to our members.”