Alessandro DeMarinis has a family-owned plumbing business in the New York City area. As a plumbing contractor and business owner, Alessandro DeMarinis says that any program that supports people looking to get into the trade is beneficial. In the article below, he discusses a grant given to Haywood County Community College located in North Carolina. This grant has been able to support new plumbing students interested in the trade. This community college has been ranked among the top 10 community colleges in the US, and with this funding, can help support a new influx of plumbers into the trade, aiding other construction companies that are looking for help amid the loss of workers in the pandemic.
In light of a growing construction boom throughout the United States, regional colleges such as Haywood County College have begun allocating federal COVID relief funds to vocational training programs. With more funding, these programs have been able to support and prepare new plumbing students to meet the needs of a construction industry that’s facing record-breaking demand for new builds.
Alessandro DeMarinis of NYC explains that although COVID-19 lockdowns led to major a slump in the economy, as well as bottlenecks in shipping and logistics chains, greater accessibility to vocational training and education will help to restore the housing market and boost an already growing construction industry. Alessandro DeMarinis explores how Haywood County College secured its funding, discusses the impact of new plumbing programs, and discovers how the school’s efforts will help the economy.
How the American Rescue Plan Act Has Helped
Alessandro DeMarinis says that in order to understand how Haywood County College secured its funding, it’s important to first understand the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The American Rescue Plan Act—also known as the COVID Relief Stimulus Package—is a $1.9 trillion relief package that was signed into law by President Biden in March 2021, which includes $350 billion in direct aid to state and local governments.
Alessandro DeMarinis of NYC says that this funding can be used by state and local governments to cover expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as providing economic relief to businesses and individuals, as well as funding vaccine distribution and testing. In addition to direct aid to state and local governments, the American Rescue Plan Act also includes $123 billion for elementary and secondary schools, $40 billion for higher education, and $20 billion for childcare providers.
With this in mind, Haywood County College is using its share of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support its new plumbing program and other vocational training programs. Alessandro DeMarinis says that the school is using the funds to cover the costs of tuition, books, and tools for students in the program, as well as to hire new instructors and upgrade its facilities to meet the needs of its growing student body.
Putting Efforts into Numbers
Through the ARPA, Haywood County, North Carolina received roughly $12 million of federal funding, which the country has vowed to allocate to local salaries and government services. Of the $12 million, half a million of the funding will go to support the local community college.
Alessandro DeMarinis says that prior to the pandemic, HCC had offered introductory and advanced plumbing classes but, in light of the economic slowdown, the college had to put the courses on hold. Thankfully, though, with the support of the American Rescue Plan Act, HCC has been able to restart its plumbing program and expand its course offerings to meet the needs of its students.
Best of all, Alessandro DeMarinis says that the college plans to create more sustainable, more accessible courses that will also benefit from roughly $2 million of additional funding through the Golden LEAF Foundation, which is a North Carolina-based organization that provides grants to community colleges.
The Impact of the New Plumbing Program
The newly expanded plumbing program at Haywood County College is already having a positive impact on the local community explains Alessandro DeMarinis. The school has been able to provide training and education to a group of students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to pursue a career in plumbing. In addition to providing new opportunities for students, the program is also helping to meet the needs of the local construction industry.
Alessandro DeMarinis says that with more trained plumbers available, construction companies will be able to complete projects more quickly and efficiently. This comes in light of a significant uptick in demand for new builds in an economy saddled by inflation and rising housing prices. Although plumbers make up just a small section of the skilled labor needed to build homes, they are undeniably essential to the overall industry.
Haywood County College has already enrolled around 200 more students since 2020, helping to relieve some of the burdens of the current housing boom. Although not all of these students are engaged in the plumbing program, the school does also offer several other vocational trainings that directly support the construction industry.
The Bottom Line
The new plumbing program at Haywood County College is just one example of how the American Rescue Plan Act is helping to support the economy says Alessandro DeMarinis of NYC. By investing in vocational training and education, the government is helping to ensure that there is a skilled workforce available to meet the needs of the construction industry. As more plumbing students graduate, they will be able to help meet growing demands for new builds.
