Industry Works to Build Future Workforce, Construction Education Foundation of Georgia Rebrands to ‘Construction Ready’

The recent passage of the $1-trillion “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” is expected to dramatically increase the already strong demand for skilled workers in the construction industry. And recently, the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia announced it’s expanding its work beyond Georgia, enhancing its services and changing its name to “Construction Ready.”

The organization, created almost 30 years ago to build opportunities for Georgians in construction and the skilled trades, works to close the skilled workforce gap that is impacting the industry nationwide. The change to “Construction Ready” comes as the organization launches new programs in Jacksonville, Florida.

“Construction Ready will continue to work with high school students, parents, employers, teachers, counselors and partners to strengthen the youth workforce and address the immediate needs of the skilled labor market,” says Construction Ready President and CEO Scott Shelar.

The nonprofit organization is expanding beyond Georgia to fill open jobs across the nation. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly construction report, nationwide 92% of contractors say they have had “moderate to high levels of difficulty” finding skilled workers. The report, released in September of 2021, says 93% of contractors expect the construction labor shortage to remain the same or get worse in the next six months.

In March 2022, Construction Ready will partner with the Jacksonville Jaguars to launch a class in downtown Jacksonville, the first outside of Georgia. The 20-day training session will prepare a group of Jacksonville area residents interested in working as skilled professionals for a career in construction and the skilled trades. Construction Ready will partner with Jacksonville companies to match every graduate with a potential employer once they complete the program.

In 2019, the state of Georgia needed an additional 61,000 workers to fill skilled worker positions across the state. The shortage has continued through the pandemic and will remain an issue as America begins projects tied to the infrastructure bill. Closing this skills gap by educating more students and young adults about careers in the skilled professions is Construction Ready’s primary goal.

For more info, visit www.constructionready.org.