Construction competition comes to Macon

School buses and construction vehicles aren't things you think of going hand-in-hand, but they did Thursday at the Georgia State Farmer's Market in Macon.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – School buses and construction vehicles aren’t things you think of going hand-in-hand, but they did Thursday at the Georgia State Farmer’s Market in Macon.

It was all part of the Central Georgia Workforce Development Alliance Skills Challenge. The competition brought together students from almost 20 schools to compete in various construction skills including welding, roofing, plumbing, and electrical.

The students had the chance to win tools as well as bragging rights for their school systems.

The event, a partnership between The Associated General Contractors of Georgia and Sheridan Construction, also serves as a way to get students excited about pursuing a career in the construction industry.

“Right now, we are suffering from having four people leave our industry and only one person entering it, and that four is generally from an aging population.,” Michael T. Dunham with AGC Georgia said.

“We need them,” Sheridan CEO Christy Kovac said. “We want to show that a career in construction can be profitable for them and something that they can do with their hands to be proud of.”

It was apparent from the students 41NBC’s Chace Ambrose spoke with that the event was a success.

“It could, it definitely could,” competitor Lane McCant said. “I’ve done a lot of construction with some people, so it’s definitely a career choice of mine.”

“We need more female welders,” another competitor said. “We’re tired of being the only females at these competitions in welding. Yeah, tired of it. It’s boring.”