Construction Ready

THURSDAY THRIVERS: Meet Kimberly Moss, a graduate of our first Pre-Apprenticeship class in Opelika, Alabama, one of several training sites at which we partner with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers.

Kimberly was between jobs in a quality control career when she learned about the Construction Ready class that would soon be held right there in her hometown.

“I thought, ‘Why not try something new?’” she says. Now she more than a year into an inventory manager job she loves with Thalamus, LLC.

Go to https://constructionready.org/story/kimberly-moss to read more of Kimberly’s story and see how a pivot into a construction career isn’t such a far-fetched idea – even for someone who’s never worked in the industry.

Today we say extend a huge word of appreciation to Parrish Construction Group for supporting Construction Ready through the Peach Education Tax Credit program.

Parrish and dozens of other Georgia companies are helping train the next generation of skilled trades professionals through this innovative opportunity, which enables individuals and corporations to make donations to construction education programs and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their state income tax returns.

Want to take part in the Peach Education Tax Credit? Learn more and apply at https://constructionready.org/taxcredit

Parrish Construction Group

STORY: Meet Natalie Wade, a senior at Adairsville High School, a U.S. Army National Guard soldier-in-training, and a talented competitive plumber. Natalie also has developed strong networking skills, which she’s leveraged to develop a relationship and career opportunity with McKenney's, Inc.

“I first saw Natalie at the plumbing competition at Mechanical Trades Institute, and she won it as a sophomore against all competitors,” says McKenney’s Construction Field Recruiter Wade Hines. “That caught my attention. Fast-forward to the 2025 regional competition in Marietta, and she took first place again. While congratulating her, we talked about her future, and I knew this was someone special.”

Natalie met additional McKenney’s personnel at the Construction Ready CareerEXPO, and now she’s eyeing a job with the company after she graduates in 2027.

Read more about her journey https://constructionready.org/story/natalie-wade/

Georgia Department of Education

A huge THANK YOU to Leapley Construction Group for their donation to Construction Ready through the Peach Education Tax Credit program. Under the leadership of Alan Scoggins and Meredith Leapley, this company is investing in the construction workforce of tomorrow through construction education.

Learn how you and your company can join Leapley in doing the same while receiving a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your state income tax returns: 🔗 https://constructionready.org/taxcredit

Thank you to Tom Troceen and the team at BIM Robotics for hosting an outstanding Lunch & Learn with our Construction Ready students at Perry Career Academy yesterday.

PCA students learned how BIM Robotics uses advanced robotic layout technology to help construction companies improve accuracy, efficiency, and productivity on projects of all sizes. Tom shared how survey teams and engineers work together to deliver precise layouts using cutting-edge technology that is changing the industry.

Lunch & Learn sessions are an important part of our Pre-Apprenticeship program. They introduce students to the many career opportunities available in construction, from the skilled trades to technology-driven roles. By connecting students directly with industry leaders, we help them see the exciting possibilities that await them as they begin their careers.

Thank you, BIM Robotics, for investing in the future workforce!

Georgia Department of Education Clayton County Public Schools

Two weeks from today we kick off our annual Camp T&I (Trade & Industry) “Train the Trainer” gatherings, in which we share lessons Georgia construction teachers can take back to their classrooms, and facilitate networking opportunities in fun workshop and after-hours environments.

“We all collaborate,” says Lee County High School teacher John Wanner. “We see each other at Camp T&I and they teach me things, like, ‘Oh, here's a trick I can bring back.’ It's the collaborative nature of what Construction Ready has built across the state.”

Adds Marietta High School teacher Michael Barcarse, “Construction Ready’s networking and hands-on professional development opportunities at Camp T&I help me bring the experience back to my students.”

We’ll be providing behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and hearing more from Camp T&I attendees as these events unfold – because behind every Construction Ready Industry Certified program is a teacher doing the hard work to make hands-on learning possible.

Georgia Department of Education

As the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference wraps up at the Georgia World Congress Center this afternoon, we take another look back at one of our Champions Breakfast panelists who spoke to competitors at the SkillsUSA Georgia Championships in February.

Berkmar High School graduate Angela Rodriguez (red shirt) is an assistant project manager and second-year electrical apprentice with Titan Electric. She discussed earning potential in her field (project manager jobs ranging from $60,000 to six-figure salaries) and shared what she enjoys most about her career:

“I’m constantly learning something new and I’m able to work with people who feel as passionate about the industry as I do.”

We wish Angela and her fellow panelists continued success in their respective industries, and we look forward to hearing about the many more successful careers that will develop from the group of SkillsUSA competitors who gathered in Atlanta this week.

This week our friends at SkillsUSA are staging the National Leadership & Skills Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Back in February, during our CareerEXPO and the SkillsUSA Georgia Championships, we hosted a panel of young men and women who are prospering in construction careers. One of those panelists, Omar Garcia, spoke about his work as a heavy equipment operator and noted that Artificial Intelligence is not “taking your job” in the construction industry. “They might take … restaurant [jobs], things like that, but they’re never taking the [skilled trades] away.”

Omar was speaking as a former SkillsUSA state champion himself, having won the 2025 HEO championship after enrolling in Instructor Horace Kilgore’s program as a senior at East Hall High School.

We salute recent graduates like Omar, along with the construction professionals of tomorrow whose talents are on display in Atlanta this week. While AI applications may assist workers in their respective disciplines, the future remains bright for those who pursue hands-on careers.

Georgia Department of Education