BOSTON — Executive members of the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) recently attended the 2016 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, NV, along with its National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) student chapter from Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT).
The annual home building and construction event is the largest light construction show in the world with more than 500,000 SF of exhibits and over 1,300 manufacturers and suppliers. Over 50,000 construction professionals and guests were in attendance, representing more than 100 countries.
BRAGB leaders accompanied the organization’s student chapter, which competed in the Residential Construction Management Competition (RCMC), a national student competition, and one of the highlights of the IBS every year. The event gives students the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a real construction situation by completing a management project/proposal and presenting to a live audience.
After finishing 26th in last year’s RCMC, the team from WIT improved its ranking by 10 places this year, finishing 16th in a field of 34 participants. Following the competition, the team’s founder, Drew Sylvia, was awarded the NAHB Outstanding Student of the Year Award for the WIT chapter. Since 2014, Sylvia has helped grow the chapter from six original members to its current number of nearly 50.
“It is an honor to receive the NAHB Outstanding Student of the Year Award, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to represent WIT at the RCMC over the past two years,” said Sylvia. “However, I am most proud of the efforts of my teammates, whose dedication and passion for this industry helped our team finish ten spots higher than last year. With BRAGB’s assistance, our student group at WIT has grown tremendously since 2014, and I speak for everyone when I say that we are extremely grateful for their support.”
As the local affiliate of NAHB, BRAGB supports WIT’s student chapter. The association organizes guest speakers to help broaden the students’ education, establish networking opportunities through member events, and assists with job placement upon graduation. BRAGB, along with members of their association such as Mass Save and Howell Custom Building Group, also contributed $2,600 to the team to help cover travel and competition fees.
“In addition to the many professional benefits of participating in IBS, we were thrilled to attend the RCMC and support the WIT team in competition,” said Lorraine DeVaux, Chief Executive Officer of BRAGB. “BRAGB places a heavy importance on member engagements, including our students, and we are extremely proud of their efforts in the classroom and beyond. Drew and his team represent the future of our industry, and we are excited to continue supporting our student chapter and watching it grow in the coming years.
