Our Workforce is changing.
Duffey Southeast is committed to workforce development - our industry’s future depends on an educated, capable, diverse, and adaptable workforce.
Past, Present & Future
The construction industry has done a great job over the decades of building infrastructure and making strides in technology. However, our number one challenge is attracting young people and skilled workers. Industry recruitment and retention are essential to the future of this industry.
Even with a multitude of career opportunities available, and lucrative salaries, the construction industry still suffers from a public relations problem. High schools across the country tend to have a “college for all mentality” and stress attending college over seeking out a career in the trades, even though most will agree that a university education is not necessarily for everyone.
It Takes Both Time & Effort
Duffey Southeast is committed to making contributions to the advancement of educational opportunities in the industry and improving our construction workforce. We are committed to dedicating our time and efforts into developing our current workforce as we know it will be harder than ever to replace the employees who have helped make our company successful all these years.
Combining efforts with the Associated General Contractors, in conjunction with Local AGC Chapters, and our valuable industry partners, we are focused on the goal to attract, retain, and train our future construction industry workforce.
But before we can develop our future workforce we must first get them interested in the industry.
Partnering with the AGC
Partnering together, Duffey Southeast and The Associated General Contractors of Georgia hosted construction students from 24-area high schools for the Northwest Georgia Workforce Development Alliance Skills Challenge. The event competitions were held November 7th, at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, in Rome, Georgia. The event was one of eight regional event competitions held throughout the state.
In addition to more than 150 competitors who participated in the event, another 150 students attended as observers to learn about the event process, in hopes of competing in future years. Local industry partners provided volunteer judges for each of the skills competitions, as well as company representatives who offered hands-on activities for student observers.
Competitions at the NW Georgia Skills Challenge were held in the following categories: blueprint reading, carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing, welding and TeamBuild.
Construction Ready Career Expo
Partnering with Construction Ready, we hosted booths at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conferences in Georgia and Florida. These events, which saw thousands of students, featured hands-on activities designed to introduce participants to the construction trades.
In Georgia, our booth engaged numerous students, while in Florida, we took it a step further by sponsoring the TeamWorks competition. This sponsorship allowed us to showcase our commitment to fostering new talent in the industry.
Each event aimed to inspire and educate the next generation of skilled professionals, with local industry partners providing volunteer judges and company representatives offering interactive experiences. Through these efforts, we hope to highlight the rewarding career opportunities available in the construction sector.
COMMITMENT REQUIRES FOLLOW-THROUGH
“Our team is proud to be the host contractor for this event with the support of many industry firms that are serving as sponsors,” said Dan Baker, CEO of Duffey Southeast Inc. “Beyond inspiring the competitors, we hope to educate students on the numerous career path opportunities available to them in the construction industry.”
Duffey Southeast is committed to the implementation and evaluation of new and existing programs. We are committed to aligning our business goals to business needs and adapting programs to changing labor industry demands. We believe in offering an array of workforce development and career pathway services to employees, students, and community residents. We build bridges between internal departments to create a culture of learning and advancement that supports employees’ personal and professional growth.
Building Beyond Expectations…it’s what we strive for while we help build our community.
