The Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia) has joined forces with several contractors to host construction students from more than 50 Georgia high schools for four regional Workforce Development Alliance Skills Challenges. The competitions will be held throughout November in Griffin, Gainesville, Augusta and Moultrie.

Competitions will be held in the following skill categories (depending on location): blueprint reading, cabinet making, carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing, TeamWorks and welding. In addition, students with a flair for broadcast news will compete to serve as onsite news reporters and/or producers covering the latest headlines from the competition.

“This is a great opportunity for high school students who are interested in construction to showcase what they are learning in their school’s construction program,” said Mike Dunham, CEO of AGC Georgia. “Beyond inspiring the competitors, we hope to educate and engage students to understand the opportunities within construction and encourage them to consider our industry as a career path.”

The four Skill Challenge events will be held across the state:

• Central Georgia & Southern Crescent Region on Nov. 1 8:30am in Griffin (Kiwanis Fairgrounds, 1025 S. Hill Street)

• Northeast Georgia on Nov. 8 8:30am in Gainesville (Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, 1855 Calvary Church Rd.)

• East Georgia on Nov. 15 10am in Augusta (Augusta Fairgrounds, 308 Hale St.)

• South and Southwest Georgia Region on Nov. 29 8:30am in Moultrie (Sunbelt AG Expo, 290-G Harper Blvd.)

Contractors from across the state (ACE Electric, R.W. Allen Construction, Bowen & Watson, Carroll Daniel Construction, GoldMech Mechanical Contractors, JCI Contractors, Sheridan Construction, Swofford Construction, and Tulsa Welding School) are partnering with AGC Georgia to coordinate these regional competitions. In addition, industry professionals are volunteering their time to judge the Challenges and will also host hands-on exhibits to help students become more familiar with specific trades.

“It’s exciting to see the hundreds of student observers who attend annually, because they have the desire to learn and attend next year – turning an observer into a competitor,” said Dunham.

These events are preparing students who will go on to compete in their regional SkillsUSA event this January. Winners of the regional events will participate in the state SkillsUSA competitions in late March at the Georgia International Convention Center.