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COLUMBUS - The Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia) is partnering with Batson-Cook Company, Freeman & Associates and MetroPower to host construction students from high schools in 15 local counties for the West Georgia Skills Challenge. The event will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at The Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center (801 Front Avenue).

This Skills Challenge is one of eight regional events held throughout Georgia that will host over 2,300 students from over 100 schools. Competitions held at the West Georgia Skills Challenge are: blueprint reading, cabinetmaking, carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing TeamWorks, welding and welding fabrication.

With nearly 100 students participating in the West Georgia Skills Challenge, over one hundred additional students will observe in hopes of competing in the future. All students will benefit from conversations with construction industry professionals who host interactive activities for students throughout the event to help them become more familiar with specific construction trades.

“High school instructors who teach construction-related curriculum are frontline champions for careers in the construction industry,” AGC Georgia CEO Mike Dunham said. “These professionals work hard to teach their students real-world skills and prepare them for ‘game day’ type experiences at Skills Challenges. It’s exciting to see young men and women showcasing their trade talents in an exciting atmosphere.”

Students from construction programs in the following counties are invited to compete in the West Georgia Skills Challenge: Chattahoochee, Coweta, Harris, Heard, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Pike, Schley, Stewart, Talbot, Taylor, Troup, Upson and Webster.

Students who are members of SkillsUSA Georgia and compete in carpentry, cabinetmaking, electrical, masonry, plumbing, TeamWorks, welding and welding fabrication at this event are eligible to earn a bid to the SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership and Skills Competition (SLSC) that will be held in February 2025.

For more information about Skills Challenges, please visit www.agcga.org/skills.

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About AGC Georgia

AGC Georgia is a professional trade association and the statewide chapter affiliated with The Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. (AGC of America). AGC Georgia member firms perform a majority of the public and private commercial construction work in Georgia and include 650 of the top general contractors, residential/light commercial builders, construction managers, design-builders, municipal-utility contractors, heavy and highway contractors, specialty contractors, service providers, and suppliers. AGC Georgia is one of 89 chapters representing over 27,000 member firms nationwide. AGC of America is the largest and most respected construction trade association in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.agcga.org/skills.