How ValleyBuild and Habitat for Humanity are Preparing Skilled Workers and Strengthening Communities
by Raul Clement
ValleyBuild, a construction apprenticeship readiness program offered by the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board, has partnered with the Greater Fresno Area Habitat for Humanity to help increase the number of trained workers. Since May 2023, ValleyBuild has been providing students to volunteer, while Habitat for Humanity Greater Fresno Area supplies the building sites where they help build houses for a full day.
Known as the ValleyBuild Community Project, this volunteer work, scheduled before each cohort’s graduation, offers valuable hands-on experience to students pursuing careers in the building and construction trades. Habitat for Humanity benefits as well, as the partnership brings in volunteers with more skills and training than typical first-timers.
Celena Genest, Habitat’s volunteer engagement coordinator, has seen these benefits firsthand.
“When you have volunteers with a few tips and tricks under their belt, you can potentially get a lot more done,” Genest says. “We have a goal for the day, and the ValleyBuild group typically blows that goal out of the water, whatever the task is.”
“We have a goal for the day, and the ValleyBuild group typically blows that goal out of the water, whatever the task is.”
Celena Genest, Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer engagement coordinator
Their construction director, Rick O’Daniel, agrees. While Habitat volunteers typically do basic tasks like fencing and trim painting, recently he and his crew assigned ValleyBuild students the more complex job of pre-building framing elements for a future home.
“The fact that the students came with some basic construction training reduced the typical learning curve that we see when we engage with other volunteers,” O’Daniel says. “They were prepared to learn the physical skills for the day such as cutting, measuring, and nailing framing members.”
Beatriz Lopez, senior project coordinator of ValleyBuild, explains that the ValleyBuild training program is designed as an exploration of the construction industry, giving students exposure to various aspects of the field. Their volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity serve as an extension of that exploration, allowing them to apply their skills on hands-on projects that directly benefit local families. “They’re able to do hands-on projects that help families in our area,” Lopez says.
Beyond simply looking good on a resume, this sense of helping others in the community can be its own reward. Genest has witnessed four ValleyBuild cohorts, each with 13 to 22 students, participate in the ValleyBuild Community Project. Of those 60-80 volunteers, she estimates that at least 10 have returned to continue volunteering after graduation.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” Genest says. “Someone volunteers one time and is so moved by our mission that they continue to volunteer with us. And then they take that out into the community with them. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”
O’Daniel echoes this sentiment, noting that feedback from volunteers is almost always positive. Many leave with a deeper appreciation for the physical and technical demands of construction work, as well as the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. “Most volunteers tell us that they leave with a sense of accomplishment, that they helped make a tangible difference in someone else’s life,” he says.
Beyond the emotional rewards, the real value for ValleyBuild volunteers comes from the practical skills they gain. Lopez shares a success story: “A graduate of the women-focused ValleyBuild NOW program negotiated a raise with her employer after helping them read blueprints.” She was on a work site where no one else could read the blueprints, but thanks to the crash course in blueprint reading—a crucial skill taught by Habitat’s licensed contractors—she was able to step up and use her training to fill the gap.
This partnership between ValleyBuild and Habitat for Humanity doesn’t just build houses—it builds futures. For many, the hands-on experience and real-world skills offer more than a pathway to a career; they provide a foundation for lasting change in their lives and communities.
For more information about ValleyBuild’s programs, visit them online at valleybuild.net or call 855-805-7245.
