Carolinas AGC Observes Careers in Construction Month

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Eariler this year, Carolinas AGC asked Governors in both North and South Carolina to name October “Careers in Construction Month,” to promote increased awareness of the construction industry and to recognize the need for construction education and training. Carolinas AGC offered a mix of events and training to highlight the importance of the industry to its members, the public and the economies of both states.

During the month of October, Carolinas AGC held networking events in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina and Fayetteville, Wilmington and Ashville, North Carolina. Its staff and members held partnering meetings with the Departments of Transportation in both states; its Human Resources Committee, met ensuring that both states remain Right to Work states. And its Pinnacle Judges chose the best of the best of construction projects built by its members. They hosted its annual AIANC/CAGC Joint meeting with our architectural partners, participated in a South Carolina Chamber of Commerce meeting featuring SCDOT Secretary Christy Hall, who talked about the agency’s ten-year plan and working with CAGC to address workforce needs and its president, Dave Simpson, as well as board chair, Marty McKee, attended the 2nd Annual Construction Symposium at Clemson University.

In addition, Carolinas AGC’s CAGC Foundation hosted its 9th annual Sporting Clays Tournament which is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers to support its scholarship program. It also held its 12th Annual CAGC PAC Golf Tournament which raises money to support its PAC in South Carolina. It attended a partnering meeting at the Charleston Metro Chamber addressing skilled construction trades, served as lead sponsor of the SCFOR Annual meeting where it celebrated the work of its staff and members in passing a road funding bill during this year’s legislative session in South Carolina, and participated in the orientation of the career coaches in North Carolina. The organization hosted a webinar on OSHA’s New Silica Standard that had over 100 participants, and met with Fayetteville Tech to begin the process of setting up a Construction Transition Tech program for veterans transitioning out of the military. In addition, its staff and members participated in National AGC’s Highway and Utilities Contractors Conference, the North Carolina Underground Utility Safety Damage Prevention Enforcement Board and the NC811 board of director’s meeting, and its board officers held their last meeting of the year.

Its staff and members also spent time promoting the construction industry at schools, career fairs and before several governmental and regulatory agencies as they addressed the industry’s workforce needs.

Through its Build Your Career initiative, it visited six schools and two career fairs exposing more than 1,200 students to the construction industry. The BYC staff also met with numerous members who have agreed to partner with CAGC’s BYC program. In North Carolina, the organization met with the Community College system on Contractor and Construction Pathways and how best to address the branding and messaging scope of work that CAGC was instrumental in passing during this year’s North Carolina legislative session.

In South Carolina, it met with Gov. McMaster’s staff, as well with the South Carolina Commerce Department, to highlight the industry’s workforce needs and how best Carolina’s AGC can partner with each of them to address the construction industry’s workforce crisis.

Carolina’s AGC thanks North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster for signing “Careers in Construction Month” proclamations for both states, because it gave Carolinas AGC a chance to spend the month doing what they do best—providing opportunities for contractors, advocating for the industry and producing results.

Source: Carolinas AGC.