The AGC Georgia Skills Challenge series was a big hit in 2022 with over 2,100 student competitors and student observers attending from 90 schools. Event organizers are ready to beat last year's results with a more dynamic series that is planned for this fall. The series will be hosted in Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Moultrie, Rome, and Statesboro.
The core competitions for the Challenges are Carpentry, Electrical, Masonry, Plumbing, and Welding with Blueprint Reading, Heavy Equipment, Roofing, Fine Furniture/ Woodworking, HVAC, and other disciplines being offered at select Challenges. The annual series is the qualifier for five construction competitions that move on to compete at the SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC) each February. The five core competition areas are Carpentry, Electrical, Masonry, Plumbing, and Welding. Skills Challenge leaders are excited about exponentially growing the number of students who can learn about careers in construction and show off their SKILLS!
This statewide workforce development program is only made possible through the support of many industry professionals. Along with our regional contractor champions from each event who volunteer hundreds of hours of their time and expertise, we also benefit from the hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships from industry firms across the state who value efforts to grow the construction industry's talent pipeline for generations to come.
We are expecting hundreds of influencers including state legislators, school superintendents, high school counselors, mayors, school board members, and leaders from the Department of Education and Technical College System of Georgia to attend the 2023 series.
Please consider getting involved in one or more Skills Challenges for the 2023 series! Some ways to consider engaging with this statewide workforce development initiative is to offer a hands-on exhibitor experience at a Challenge for students, provide sponsorship dollars through our 501c3 foundation, or to have a seasoned professional from your company serve as a competition judge. We are also in need of in-kind donations for materials. Perhaps you have other ways you'd like to connect with the students such as sponsoring the prizes for all of our category winners. The opportunities are endless.
If you'd like to be included in planning for any of our eight regional events, please reach out to Alyson Abercrombie at 678-298-4106 or by email at abercrombie@agcga.org.