Georgia Contractors Recruit High Schoolers Early

Contractors hiring in Georgia's trades can now reach students before graduation, when competitors may not yet have started.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Jobs — General

Copper pipe run fitted along an unfinished wood-framed wall in a sunlit workshop, with a brass level and drywall sheets, a pine treeline beyond the open garage door. — About 300 high school students competed in a Rome, Georgia skills challenge as contractors seek to recruit trade workers before graduation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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About 300 high school students competed in a skills challenge in Rome, Georgia, organized by the Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia), testing plumbing, drywall, carpentry and masonry. The event aims to connect students with construction employers before they graduate, and one winner has already lined up a paid job with Atlanta-based mechanical contractor McKenney's.

Why it matters

Georgia construction firms face a shrinking pool of experienced tradespeople as older workers retire, so early recruiting and funded trade education are becoming a practical hiring tool. Operators who wait until graduation may find top prospects already committed.

About 300 students took part in the AGC Georgia challenge, while the industry estimates it needs 349,000 new workers nationally in 2026. A workforce survey by AGC of America and NCCER found 42% of respondents reported project delays caused by worker shortages, and it remains unclear how many participants will ultimately enter construction work.

The players

Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia)

The state chapter of a national contractor trade association that organizes workforce programs and represents general contractors in Georgia.

McKenney's

An Atlanta-based mechanical contractor providing heating, ventilation and plumbing services to commercial and institutional clients.

Zach Fields

CEO of AGC Georgia, who has said students are going to be inundated with job offers.

The details

Students competed individually and in teams and were judged on measurements, pipe straightness and level, and their grasp of the underlying math, all under a running timer. Winner Natalie Wade of Adairsville High School installed plumbing for a sink and washing machine as her assignment, and she has since accepted a job with McKenney's that includes paid work and help covering trade education. For employers, the model shifts recruiting earlier in the pipeline, turning a competition into a visible audition for future hires.

Last year, Natalie Wade finished second at both the regional and state levels before her first-place plumbing finish.
In 2026, the industry estimated it would need to attract 349,000 new workers nationally.
Natalie Wade's McKenney's job begins before she graduates from high school.

Market Landscape

The 42% project-delay figure from the AGC of America and NCCER workforce survey shows shortages are already slowing construction schedules. Georgia's effort to recruit high schoolers reflects a broader industry push to build its pipeline earlier, as aging tradespeople retire.

Georgia contractors should consider early outreach to high school programs and paid trade-education partnerships as a recruiting channel. Calendar the 2026 workforce gap figures when reviewing hiring budgets for the coming year.

The takeaway

Employers that engage students during high school may secure hires before competitors do. Track local apprenticeship and trade-education partnerships as a low-cost pipeline for skilled labor.