“That part of Extollo’s vision is to establish the Extollo brand as a seal of quality that communicates to the prospective employer that the candidate is capable and competent at a high level of quality in building at international building standards.”Įxtollo is in the process of determining where they will seek accreditation in order to provide their students with the most highly regarded graduation certificate. “Our goal is that our graduates are so competitive in the job market because of their certification from Extollo that they are able to take jobs from expats that are brought in to work on the more sophisticated construction projects being built in Haiti,” Keith explained.
Students can currently take any of the four trades in level one while levels two, three and four are being developed. Our goal is that our graduates are so competitive in the job market because of their certification from Extollo that they are able to take jobs from expats that are brought in to work on the more sophisticated construction projects being built in Haiti. One week is classroom instruction and the second week is a hands-on practicum where the students are actually working on a project. “We will probably always want to bring in outside talent from time to time to maintain a high level of instruction and expose our students to the latest construction best-practices.”Ĭurrently the courses offered through the Extollo trade school run for two weeks. This year, for the first time, a Welding course was offered and was led and taught by the Haitian staff, “…which is really what we want for the future of Extollo,” stated Keith. While there is still a need, experienced construction professionals travel from the States to Haiti to help in mentoring, training and quality control for the classes offered through the trade school. Extollo is still in the early stages of developing the trade school, which now offers entry-level training courses in four trades most relevant for Haiti: (1) Concrete, (2) Masonry, (3) Welding and (4) Electrical.Įach day the trade school starts with a devotion, walking through Scripture with the students teaching them what it means to be a person of integrity and honesty, and teaching them, as Keith says, “We work for our Heavenly Father first and foremost.” That ripple effect became, “The genesis of Extollo starting a construction company and a trade school that have a synergistic relationship,” said Keith.Ī few years later Extollo acquired property in Haiti to begin building the infrastructure for the trade school and construction company. We will probably always want to bring in outside talent from time to time to maintain a high level of instruction and expose our students to the latest construction best-practicesĪ ripple effect was created when the Haitian men and women rebuilding their communities began helping their friends and neighbors to rebuild their homes. Keith told me, “Sherm felt a call to help in the rebuilding of Haiti and to do the reconstruction in a way that was going to rebuild a stronger Haiti.” Key to this vision was Haitian men and women becoming involved and partnering with Extollo in the rebuilding of their communities. Very few of the structures were built to any kind of international building standards and the earthquake unfortunately caused structures to collapse crushing many, many people.” So when we saw the extensive damage, Sherm quickly realized the primary reason for all the devastation and so much death was because the infrastructure in Haiti was so weak, particularly the buildings.
Keith started by saying, “Sherm’s expertise is in the area of construction, particularly in masonry and concrete. I recently sat down with Keith Cobell, President of Extollo International. Key to this vision was Haitian men and women becoming involved and partnering with Extollo in the rebuilding of their communities. Sherm felt a call to help in the rebuilding of Haiti and to do the reconstruction in a way that was going to rebuild a stronger Haiti. Sherm resolved to use his gifts and resources and two years later, in 2012, Extollo International was formed. Sherm and a group of people from his church, Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore, CA, traveled to Haiti to determine where they could be of help. Sherm Balch saw first-hand the devastation and destruction of Haiti shortly after a 7.0 earthquake struck in 2010, killing an estimated 250,000 people.
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