Hope Renovations expands to Wake County giving women training opportunities in construction

A nonprofit organization that trains women in construction is breaking barriers and expanding to Wake County.

Hope Renovations hosted an open house in Carrboro Sunday to give people more insight into the benefits of their program.

"Right now, there is a major skilled trade gap in our workforce there is no women doing the work," said Nora El-Khouri- Spencer, Founder Hope Renovations. "Only about ten percent of the industry is women and only 4 percent our trades women actually sling a hammer."

El-Khouri- Spencer, who founded the organization three years ago, says they are trying to change those stats regarding the construction industry.

The Hope Renovations program trains women for 15 weeks, of which the first nine include classroom instruction and the last six weeks on-the-job training.

"There are so many women who want to do this work and are capable of doing this work," said El-Khouri- Spencer.

The on-the-job training includes repairing the homes of senior citizens who may be unable to afford it.

"There are not enough contractors doing the work to seniors need to stay comfortable and safe in their homes as the grow older because those jobs are lower profit," said El-Khouri- Spencer.
El-Khouri- Spencer, who has been awarded CNN Hero and a WRAL Voters Choice Award for Woman of the Year, says the organization has hit a significant goal.

"We were awarded a grant from the Department of Commerce in partnership capital area work force development board that will start up a hope renovation in Wake County, “ El-Khouri- Spencer said.