- With a shortage of 760 apartmentsin Gadsden County, this unique program aims to provide affordable housing solutions.
- Students at Gadsden Technical College will learn high-demand construction skills by building tiny homes each semester.
- To enroll, visit GTC's website.
- Watch the video to see what students will learn.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A unique partnership in Gadsden County is giving students the opportunity to build more than just skills — they’re building homes.
Gadsden Technical College (GTC) has teamed up with Jones Construction to launch a program where students in the Building Maintenance and Management course will construct tiny homes each semester, starting later this year.
The initiative is aimed at helping students gain real-world experience in construction trades while simultaneously addressing the county's growing need for affordable housing.
The program provides students with practical, hands-on experience in key construction trades such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, air conditioning, and more. Students will be involved in every stage of construction, from laying the foundation to installing the roofing on each tiny home.
“When you are done with our program at Gadsden Technical College, you can go right into leadership or a superintendent type of position,” said Kerwyn Jones-Wilson, CEO of Jones Construction.
The partnership ensures that students will leave the program equipped with valuable skills that can immediately be applied in the workforce, opening up opportunities for leadership roles in the construction industry.
With a housing shortage of 760 apartments in Gadsden County, according to the Florida Apartment Association, this program aims to address a critical need in the community.
The tiny homes built by students will serve as affordable housing options, helping alleviate some of the pressure on the local housing market.
“They start with the foundation, doing the flooring, plumbing, electric, mechanical, all the way up to roofing,” Jones-Wilson explained, detailing the scope of work involved in each project.
Willie Jackson, the director of GTC, believes that this partnership will not only provide students with much-needed skills but also help solve one of the community's most urgent issues.
“When we can put homes in the community at a regular rate, not an expensive rate, I really think we can help the housing shortage in Gadsden County,” he said.
Jackson also emphasized that the partnership with Jones Construction ensures the curriculum remains industry-relevant and provides students with future employment opportunities.
“That helps my instructor because you have a construction company that can come in and verify to make sure the instruction is right. Students now, knowing that you have a construction company backing them, and having a possibility to work with that same company, they’re very supportive of it,” he added.
The program is set to begin in August.
For more information on how to apply for the program, visit Gadsden Technical College’s website.
