Natalie Wade came to Rome, Georgia, hoping to win a plumbing competition. She left with first place and a working future already taking shape.
The Adairsville High School student has a job lined up with Atlanta-based mechanical contractor McKenney's before she graduates. She says the opportunity includes paid work and help covering her trade education.
"I wanted that stability right out of high school," Wade said.
She was among about 300 high school students participating in a skills challenge organized by the Associated General Contractors of Georgia. Students competed individually and in teams in trades including plumbing, drywall, carpentry and masonry.
The setting had the pressure of a sporting event: a clock running, competitors concentrating, and judges examining the results. But beyond the awards, the competition offered a chance to demonstrate skills construction employers need.
Wade's assignment involved installing the plumbing for a sink and washing machine. Judges checked measurements, whether the pipes were straight and level, and whether students understood the math behind their work.
Judge and plumber Kory Lindsey said the pressure can push students to rush.
"We got a timer running. They start speeding up. They feel like they don't have enough time," Lindsey said.
For Wade, repetition helped her stay focused.
"It's just muscle memory," she said.
She finished second at both the regional and state levels last year. Even after this year's work was complete, she wasn't certain she had done enough to win.
"I really thought my partner was going to win for sure," Wade said afterward, explaining that she thought his soldered connections looked better.
The judges saw it differently. Wade took first place in plumbing.
"This definitely, like, reminds me that I can do this," she said.
While students competed against each other, construction employers were looking for people to hire.
"We can't build anything without people," said Zach Fields, CEO of AGC Georgia. "And we need more people."
Fields said an aging workforce makes recruiting and training younger workers especially important as experienced tradespeople retire.
Associated Builders and Contractors estimates the industry needs to attract 349,000 new workers nationally in 2026 to meet demand. A separate workforce survey by the Associated General Contractors of America and NCCER found that 42% of respondents reported project delays caused by shortages of their own workers or subcontractors' workers.
Skilled construction trades offer another route into a challenging job market. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, unemployment among recent college graduates fell to 5.2% in the third quarter of 2026, its lowest level in more than a year, although researchers said conditions remained challenging.
Fields said the competitions' goal is to connect students with employers before they leave high school.
"They're going to be inundated with offers," he said.
He emphasized that four-year degrees have a place in construction, including engineering, architecture and construction management. But entering through a skilled trade can also provide experience, income and a path toward running a job site.
"We care mostly about experience and know-how," Fields said.
For Wade, the appeal is practical: training for a career while earning money.
"They also pay for my trade school," she said, describing a program through Local Union 72 in Atlanta. "They also … pay me while I'm going to school."
A first-place finish and a career foundation already built.
