Highway contractors throughout northwest Georgia are hiring. The passage of the $900 million-a-year Transportation Funding Act by the Georgia Legislature in 2015 is providing much-needed funding for the expansion, improvement and repair of Georgia’s infrastructure. With the increase in road projects, Georgia’s highway contractors currently have hundreds of jobs to fill.

To help raise awareness about the need for workers, the Georgia Highway Contractors Association last year launched a campaign dubbed, Fast Lane to Jobs. The campaign seeks to educate prospective workers about the many types of road jobs available and the benefits of a career in this sector. Most importantly, the campaign is connecting potential highway construction workers with contractors that are actively hiring throughout the state.

“In northwest Georgia, contractors currently need many types of workers. While some previous construction experience is helpful, for many of the jobs, no experience is required and training is provided on the job, said Scott Thompson, president of Talley Construction Company, Inc. in Rossville. “The highway construction industry is one of the few not requiring a high school diploma or college degree. While the work can be difficult, the average pay is high and the opportunities for advancement are numerous.”

There are job openings across all aspects of road construction, including asphalt paving workers, asphalt plant operators, concrete laborers, highway bridge carpenters, heavy equipment operators and mechanics, commercial truck drivers and traffic control workers. To learn more about careers in road construction, GHCA created a robust and engaging website, GeorgiaRoadJobs.com. In addition to educational information about the many job types, the site includes average salaries, typical career paths and an interactive map showing which highway contractors are hiring in various regions around the state, including northwest Georgia. The website also features videos and testimonials of actual highway construction workers, and raises awareness about the many career possibilities for women. There is also a Spanish version of the site.