New Live Discussion Sessions Educate Students about Careers in Construction

CEFGA launched a series of Instagram Live and Facebook Live discussions in Summer 2020, each designed to educate students about career opportunities in the construction industry. For four weeks in June and July, CEFGA held sessions at @CEFGA_jobs on Instagram Live. The sessions switched to Facebook Live in mid-July and are continuing into Fall 2020.

Kayleen McCabe

The weekly live sessions are hosted by Kayleen McCabe, contractor and host of “Rescue Renovation” on the DIY Network, along with CEFGA President and CEO Scott Shelar. The two speak with students, industry leaders and employers about their experiences and insights around the skilled trades.

All sessions are free and open to anyone interested. The Facebook Live sessions begin at noon each Tuesday on the CEFGA Facebook page. Miss a live session? No problem – each one is recorded and published on the CEFGA YouTube channel. Visit the series recap page to see the videos.

“Even during this pandemic, the construction industry is still strong. But for years, businesses have had trouble hiring trained workers, leading to a skilled labor gap in the U.S.,” says CEFGA’s Shelar. “These new Instagram sessions are an opportunity for young people to hear from industry leaders about how we can close the skilled labor gap by giving them the information they need to enter the skilled trade workforce.”

Job Placement
CEFGA continues to educate students on career options and is working to place students directly into jobs at leading construction companies. High school students interested in a career in construction can text “careerpath” to 31996 to receive a quick application. The CEFGA career placement team will follow up with the student for information on advanced training, apprenticeships, and even job placement.

The organization will continue to work with teachers and guidance counselors through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. CEFGA is partially able to provide these services to Georgia’s students through the support and partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, The Marcus Foundation and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The three organizations came together earlier this year to seed a $5.7 million, three-year grant to address the need for skilled workers in the construction trades.