The Georgia Contractor Mar-Apr 2013

Volume 9, Issue 2 March | April 2013

Special edition

CEFGA, SKILLSUSA & GO BUILD GEORGIA

FInDInG A CAREER FOR thE FUtURE LOwER COSt, LIGhtER CARBOn FOOtpRInt

Designing an All-wood Podium Building

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The Georgia Contractor

GEORGIA

CONTRACTOR

w w w. t h e g e o r g i a c o n t r a c t o r . c o m

COMMENTARY

Editor-in-Chief: Roland Petersen-Frey Managing Editor: Daniel Simmons | (770) 521-8877 Art Director: Pamela Petersen-Frey | (770) 521-8877

Our annual CEFGA/Skills USA Careers in Construction Expo issue is a very special edition of The Georgia Contractor magazine. It’s this time of year that we look forward to seeing our Georgia high school students display their talent in engineering, architecture, and construction.

It also confirms that many opportunities are open to students to make career choices in these exciting and growing fields. Our Governor and Lt. Governor and the Workforce Development team are very much involved in promoting Go Build Georgia and the excellent careers awaiting students in many construction industries.

The Georgia Contractor is a strong supporter of not just our industry but also of education and is well aware of the urgent need for skilled labor in our workforce. It’s important for young men and women to know that college is not the only path to a successful career. Vocational and technical apprenticeship training yields job opportunities that are often immediately available.

Other great career-awareness programs available for young people in Georgia include the Future City Competitions and MATHCOUNTS. Read in this issue the interesting and exciting things going on in Georgia as we help our young people prepare for success.

The Georgia Contractor is published bi-monthly on a calendar year basis. It is a magazine designed around the construction industry associations and their members. It is supported by associations and their members. Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115 • Phone: (770) 521-8877 • Fax: (770) 521-0406 e-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com. Send address changes to your association and/or to A4 Inc. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of any of the associations or publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher.

ADVERTISEMENTS ABC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover Albany Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

R. Petersen-Frey Editor-in-Chief, Georgia Contractor

Ayres Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Columbia Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Deemer, Dana & Froehle LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 GEICC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Georgia 811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Georgia Concrete & Products Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Georgia Power Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Georgia Power Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Go Build Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Independent Electrical Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 JAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Metro Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

On The Cover ~ March 21-23, 2013, the SkillsUSA

New South Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

State Championships and CareerExpo will take place at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. See the story on page 8.

PCL Industrial Construction Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 RHD Utility Locating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 March - April 2013

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Every SkillsUSA Georgia Champion Knows This!

March 21-23, 7,000 people will gather in a 200,000-square-foot facility to participate in the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo. The event will include career exploration opportunities in construction, architecture, and engineering for high school students.

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Welcome from Governor Deal Welcome from Lt. Governor Cagle The CEFGA Placement Program: A Great Way to Jump Start Your Career 2013 CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships Sponsors Finding a Career for the Future NCCER Training and Credentials: The Backbone of CEFGA’s Talent Pipeline Go Build Georgia High School Team GA 811: Call Before You Dig Lessons Learned Contractor News Facing Today’s Challenges: The Georgia Regional Future City Competition

The Georgia Contractor

The Best and Brightest Face off at SkillsUSA

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This month, SkillsUSA Georgia will hold its annual State Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.

There, the best and brightest high school career and technical education students will face off against one another for the opportunity to earn a coveted gold medal and, more importantly, the recognition of their achievement as a State Champion.

28 Math Really Does Count!

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The Atlanta Metro Chapter organizes the largest MATHCOUNTS Competition in the nation. The chapter welcomes five hundred students from Metropolitan Atlanta to Georgia Tech for their competition every year.

Lower Cost, Lighter Carbon Footprint:

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Designing an All-wood Podium Building

With a ten-story wood building nearly complete in Australia and studies demonstrating the feasibility of going higher still, wood highrises have been the subject of much discussion among architects and in the architectural press.

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Welcome Dear Fellow Georgians, Welcome to the 2013 CEFGA Career Expo and SkillsUSA State Championships. This expo is an outstanding showcase of talent among Georgia’s students.

Education is the foundation of success. It instills the important skills that help our young citizens to find meaningful employment. Through the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development’s program Go Build Georgia, we are working hard to build and maintain a highly skilled workforce for growing industries throughout Georgia.

Organizations such as CEFGA and SkillsUSA are important to the future of our students. With their help, we can provide our future labor force with available resources to make sure that their educational experiences can lead to significant career opportunities.

I would like to thank the students, parents, and educators who were able to attend today. Your participation with CEFGA and SkillsUSA shows that you are committed to ensuring that Georgia’s workforce has the skills necessary to grow an economy for our future.

Sincerely, Governor Nathan Deal Dear CEFGA Expo Participants, Welcome! It’s truly a privilege to be the Honorary Chair of the 2013 CEFGA Career Expo. I am thrilled to be associated with an event that brings together motivated students and leaders from the education and business communities. The partnerships that are formed here help to ensure that Georgia's future is strong and we are equipped to succeed in the 21st century economy.

As Lieutenant Governor, I firmly believe that every student deserves the opportunity to embrace their skills and pursue an educational path that both challenges them intellectually and gives them the necessary tools to compete in the modern workforce. I am humbled to see the growth that CEFGA has made in sponsoring these Expo and SkillsUSA events. Programs such as these provide tremendous opportunities for our students to continue on a path of excellence as they move out into the world.

Please enjoy your time at the Expo, and thank you all for coming and supporting such a wonderful event.

Sincerely, Casey Cagle | Lt. Governor of Georgia 6

The Georgia Contractor

March - April 2013

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Every SkillsUSA Georgia Champion Knows THIS! I am not going to lie. Organizing the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo is a bear!

B.E.A.R! BEAR! As you might imagine, anything that involves 7,000 people, 200,000 square feet of space, and 6,000 pounds of hard hats and safety glasses is not easy.

One thing I’ve learned through my involvement is that there is a direct correlation between how much I put into something and how much I get out of it: The more I put into something, the more I get out of it; the harder I work on something, the better the feeling when I achieve success.

Every SkillsUSA Champion knows exactly what I am talking about.

If you are here at the event and reading this, there is a good chance you won first or second place at a SkillsUSA Regional Competition. You worked hard, spending extra time with your advisor, practicing late into the night, when you would rather be at the movies with your friends. You may have even wondered to yourself: “Why; why am I doing this?” Then, when you finish your competition and feel good about the job you’ve done; then again, at that moment your name is called as the Gold or Silver Medal winner; then you know for certain the answer to that question, “Why?” You do it because it feels good to set a goal, work hard, and achieve it.

The team of industry professionals who work on this event each year: The World leaders who organize the Expo; the Technical Chairs who pull together each SkillsUSA Competition; the volunteers who secure resources to make this event a huge success—all work very hard to make this event perfect for the students.

A perfect event for us is kind of like a Gold Medal for a SkillsUSA Champion!

You might ask yourself, “Why?” Why do thousands of industry professionals voluntarily work so hard, giving thousands of hours of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to make the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo a success?

One reason is that our industry faces a well-known and well-documented skilled worker shortage. The construction industry sees CEFGA, SkillsUSA, and Georgia’s Career and Technical Education (CTAE) System as part of the solution to that problem. As a result, the construction industry invests in CEFGA, SkillsUSA, and CTAE. This event is one tangible example of that.

The other reason is that our volunteers enjoy it. The industry professionals who are involved in the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo work hard, and as a result, 8

they find the whole experience to be very rewarding.

Our industry professionals tell me all the time that they’ve never been part of an event where everyone is ‘so positive.’

They tell me how the teachers are always so thankful and the students are genuinely curious, eager to learn, and eager to impress in the SkillsUSA State Championships. The industry professionals tell me they are connecting with students and they feel like they are making a difference.

In case I don’t get to tell you personally: If you are a student, teacher, SkillsUSA competitor or advisor, “Thank YOU” for being so professional and appreciative of the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo. If you are an industry professional, a company owner or an employee, “Thank YOU” for working so hard to make this event bigger and better every year!

Let’s make this one another great SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo for Georgia! v

Scott Shelar is in his 15th year as Executive Director of CEFGA - the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia.

CEFGA is a lead sponsor and organizer of the SkillsUSA State Championships and CareerExpo. Shelar is married to Kara Martin. They live in Decatur, Georgia, and are the proud parents of two children, Martin (age 5) and Sophia (age 2).

The Georgia Contractor

The CEFGA Placement Program: A Great Way to Jump Start Your Career CEFGA Placement Program Criteria: What if there were a way you could jump start your career while still in high • NCCER Core Credential (100+ hours of safety training, construction math, hand and power tools, print reading, school or technical college?

u

What if there were a career path available so you don't have to settle for a minimum wage job after graduation?

•

if there were a way your construction skills acquired u What in school help you stand out with employers?

• • •

if there were a way to ‘promote’ your skills to u What employers for job placement and/or apprenticeship

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training to further your career goal with endless opportunities?

•

The Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) is the way to jumpstart your construction career while attending school with job placement and apprenticeship training opportunities.

The CEFGA Placement Program provides trained, qualified, pre-screened and motivated talent for Georgia's construction industry. It is a statewide initiative designed to match Georgia high school and technical college students with quality construction companies for full-time employment.

Companies understand students in the CEFGA Placement Program (CPP) are not your average academic students “looking for a job.” They understand that “You've Got Skills!”

CEFGA students who are enrolled in an NCCER (see nccer.org) accredited construction training program in their high school or technical college and are seeking a career in the construction industry have an advantage of being placed at the top of the job placement list. Students who demonstrate an interest in the industry and have met criteria as defined by CEFGA are considered for an interview and/or placement with employers.

The NCCER credentials you receive while in high school and technical college are your ticket to the top.

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rigging, and employability) NCCER Level 1 Craft Credential (High School) / NCCER Level 2-4 (Technical College) Résumé Instructor Recommendation SkillsUSA Member or Competitor (preferred, not required) Georgia Work Ready Certification (preferred, not required) Reliable Transportation (Driver’s License and Vehicle)

Training Opportunities offered through CEFGA’s Placement Programs: • • • • • • • •

Carpentry/General Contracting Plumbing HVAC/Mechanical Electrical Masonry Sheet Metal Welding Energy/Industrial Construction

You’ve got skills, now what should you do?

Register on the CEFGA Placement Program (CPP) Database. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1: Put together your resume and instructor recommendation letter (include the NCCER credential information on your resume).

Step 2: Register on the CEFGA Placement Program (CPP) Database by completing your profile information online at: www.CEFGA.org - Click on “Apply for the CEFGA Placement Program Today” (Middle right on home page).

Step 3: Upload your resume and recommendation letter from your instructor to the CPP Database.

Once your profile has been completed online, the CPP Database will generate an e-mail notifying the CEFGA Placement Coordinator your information has been submitted and you are available for placement.

By completing the online CPP registration, you will now receive the weekly CEFGA Job Announcements of all jobs available to your e-mail address that you provided in your profile.

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If you see a job that interests you and you wish to apply, simply send an e-mail to the CEFGA Placement Coordinator notifying your interest in a particular job reference number and request to be considered.

CLP is CEFGA's Official Skilled Trades Solution Partner.

CEFGA students that have received their NCCER credentials are provided the opportunity to be interviewed and hired by CLP as an additional placement resource. CLP's clients are construction companies seeking students who have NCCER credentials and prefer to hire through a staffing firm prior to bringing a candidate on permanently. Interviews and placements will begin in April for high school graduates.

Technical college students should apply year round.

So, what are you waiting for? Register online now or contact Jamie Buck, CEFGA Placement Coordinator: E-mail: buck@cefga.org Phone: (678) 873-1097 for any questions you may have about placement.

concrete companies in the Southeast.

CEFGA - the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia partners with construction companies, trade associations, schools and government agencies to support construction training programs and encourage students to pursue careers in construction. www.cefga.org v

CEFGA Success Stories Jaime Morales 2012 Graduate, Gainesville High School Level 1 Electrical Student MetroPower Jaime Morales had many options coming out of CEFGAaccredited Gainesville High School. He learned about the construction industry from his construction teachers at Gainesville High School, and knew he wanted to be an electrician. Jaime landed an interview with one of the mostrespected electrical contractors on the Eastern Seaboard, and is enjoying his new-found career at MetroPower.

Joshua Wills 2011 Graduate, DeKalb Technical College Allison-Smith Joshua competed in the 2011 SkillsUSA State Championships and caught the eye of CEFGA member company, AllisonSmith. “Our original decision to hire Joshua was made on watching him compete in the Skills USA competition and talking with him afterward. He demonstrated a very good work ethic during competition,” says Mike Peters, manager of Field Operations for Allison Smith.

Greg Miller 2001 Graduate, Maxwell HS Precision Concrete Greg is a graduate of the CEFGA-accredited Maxwell High School construction program and a 2005 graduate of Southern Polytechnic State University’s construction management program. He’s in his sixth year with Precision Concrete and has worked his way up to Estimator with one of the largest 10

The Georgia Contractor

March - April 2013

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2013 CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships A Very Special Thanks to our Sponsors Presenting Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Champions’ Breakfast Sponsors

SkillsUSA Competition Sponsors AGC Georgia Young Leadership Program Bardi Georgia Utility Contractors Association Lincoln Electric Lowe’s Mechanical Industries Council MetroPower Miller Electric Manufacturing Company New South Construction Company Parrish Construction Group Southern Polytechnic State University Visa

World Sponsors American Institute of Architects - Atlanta Atlanta Electrical Contractors Association Balfour Beatty Batson-Cook Company C.C. Owen Tile Company Georgia Concrete and Products Association Georgia Department of Transportation HB Training and Consulting (HBTC) Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Juneau Construction Company Masonry Association of Georgia (MAG) Pearson / NCCER Pyramid Masonry Sherwin-Williams

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Superior Plumbing Service Inc. The Conlan Company Wayne J. Griffin Electric Winter Construction Company Yates Insurance Agency

Hard Hat Sponsors Bosch Fly & Form Georgia Masonry Supply (GMS) Goodman PCL Industrial Construction Company Ragan Enterprises Steel, LLC Tebarco Mechanical Corporation The Blue Book Network

Donors A4 Inc. Allison-Smith Company American Society of Civil Engineers Applied Software Atlanta Contract Glazing Auburn University Baker Paint and Contracting Block USA, A CEMEX Company Boral Brick Brasfield & Gorrie Century Fire Protection

Cleveland Electric CMAA Day & Zimmermann Dollar Concrete Construction Eckardt Electric EMC Security Faith Technologies Fortune-Johnson General Contractors Glover & Davis Attorney International Aviation Consultants International Union Painters and Allied Trades Local #77 JE Dunn Construction Marek Interior Systems MBA Waste Pearson/NCCER Pritchard & Jerden Readymix USA / CEMEX Rogers Construction Company Savannah College of Art & Design School of Building Construction - GA Tech Snellings Walters Insurance Agency Southwire Company Thomas Concrete of Georgia Inc. Universal Technical Institute (UTI) UP Scaffolding Company Wayne J. Griffin Electric Wm. J. Redmond & Son Inc.

The Georgia Contractor

Finding a Career for the Future

By Tricia Pridemore, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development

O

ne of the many goals for the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development is to help our young people find a career in Georgia’s future economy. Through Go Build Georgia, our office aims to create a highly skilled workforce to match the growth of these industries in Georgia.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for electricians and construction trade workers is expected to grow by more than 23 percent by 2020. This is a large increase over the estimated 14 percent growth of all other occupations combined. The Go Build Georgia program’s intent is to educate students and parents on the benefits of pursuing a career within the industries that employ skilled trade workers.

We must promote entrepreneurship for our youth. They can pursue something they are not only passionate about but something that will lead them to a successful career. The value of education lies within what it brings to a student’s future. Students in a traditional setting can sometimes leave school with overwhelming student debt and few job prospects. It is important to expose students to a wide variety of career options.

Recently, Governor Deal announced a new agenda item for the 2013 legislative session to expand access to technical colleges. The proposal aims to lower GPA requirement for the HOPE Grant to its original level of a 2.0. The HOPE Grant specifically goes to students in the technical college system. This new proposal could help to fill Georgia’s great technical college system and give our citizens the skills they need to find a successful career.

Many careers in the skilled trades offer opportunities for on-the-job training (OJT) that pays while you learn. Apprenticeships and OJT give the individual March - April 2013

time in the classroom learning the skills on paper as well as real experience in the field. Apprenticeships and OJT can often lead to full-time employment if the person exhibits the necessary skills for the job. Apprenticeship programs offer individuals the opportunity to learn a trade while earning a living wage. According to the US Department of Labor, apprentices usually earn between 30 to 50 percent of what fully certified workers make. This is also in addition to receiving regular pay raises as the

individual gains valuable skills and certifications that will last them a lifetime.

Across the state of Georgia, we are all working toward the same goals: to ensure our economy continues to be one of the strongest in the nation, to ensure our young people have the opportunities to become our future leaders, and to make our state a star for business and industry.

Organizations such as the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) and SkillsUSA are outstanding examples of how we can ensure that Georgia’s youth are actively preparing for their futures. These groups not only expose students to the art of skilled trades, but also basic professional life skills which are vital when entering a career.

As we look into the future of Georgia and its economy, we must make sure we have the workforce pipeline to keep our state thriving. Through programs such as Go Build Georgia and other workforce development programs, we can make, build, and maintain a strong workforce for the state. v

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NCCER Training and Credentials: The Backbone of CEFGA’s Talent Pipeline The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) is a not-for-profit education foundation created to develop industry-driven standardized craft training programs with portable credentials. The NCCER provides transcripts, certificates, and wallet cards to students who successfully complete the Contren® Learning Series curriculum through an NCCER Accredited Sponsor.

As the leading NCCER Training Sponsor in Georgia, CEFGA promotes NCCER training and credentialing in Georgia’s high schools and technical colleges. As a direct result of CEFGA’s efforts over the last decade, more than 70 high schools and technical colleges are using the Contren® Learning Series in Georgia today.

Leading construction companies throughout the world recognize NCCER credentials as the industry standard.

In the 2011-2012 school year, CEFGA issued more than 7,000 NCCER Credentials to students across the state. The NCCER credential opens doors for Georgia students with the biggest

and best construction companies in the world. Companies who hire NCCER credentialed-students know they are getting trained, industry-certified professionals.

NCCER / CEFGA Accredited Programs in Georgia (as of December 2012) Congratulations to these Georgia schools for achieving and maintaining industry accreditation: Construction (These programs teach Carpentry, Electrical, Masonry, and Plumbing) Adairsville High School (Bartow County)

Cross Keys High School (Dekalb County)

Hardaway High School (Muscogee County)

Lamar County High School (Lamar County)

Appalachee High School (Barrow County)

East Laurens High School (Lauren County)

Harlem High School (Columbia County)

Lee County High School 1 (Lee County)

Baldwin Area Vocational School (Baldwin County)

Effingham County High School (Effingham County)

Jackson High School (Butts County)

Lee County High School 2 (Lee County)

Burke County High School (Burke County)

Etowah High School (Cherokee County)

RW Johnson High School (Hall County)

Lovejoy High School (Clayton County)

Cairo High School (Grady County)

Flowery Branch High School (Hall County)

Jones County High School (Jones County)

Lowndes High School (Lowndes County)

Camden County High School (Camden County)

Floyd County Vocational High School (Floyd County)

Jonesboro High School (Jones County)

Maxwell High School of Technology (Gwinnett County)

Cass High School (Bartow County) Central Education Center (Coweta County) Chestatee High School (Hall County)

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Forest Park High School (Clayton County) Franklin County High School (Franklin County) Gainesville High School (Gainesville City)

Jordan Vocational High School 1 (Muscogee County) Jordan Vocational High School 2 (Muscogee County)

Morrow High School (Clayton County) Moultrie Technical College Mount Zion High School (Clayton County)

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Osborne High School (Cobb County)

South Cobb High School (Cobb County)

Thomson High School (McDuffie County)

Pickens County High School 1 (Pickens County)

South Effingham High School (Effingham County)

Tift County High School (Tift County)

Pickens County High School 2 (Pickens County)

Statesboro High School (Bulloch County)

Upson-Lee High School (Upson County)

Shaw High School (Muscogee County)

Technical Education Center (Carroll County)

Valdosta High School (Lowndes County)

Washington County High School (Washington County) Wayne County High School (Wayne County) West Hall High School (Hall County) Westside High School (Bibb County)

Metals (These programs teach Sheet Metal and Welding) Appling County High School (Appling County)

Evans High School (Columbia County)

Lee County High School (Lee County)

Wayne County High School (Wayne County)

Brunswick High School (Glynn County)

Floyd County Vocational High School (Floyd Co)

Maxwell High School (Gwinnett County)

White County High School (White County)

Cairo High School (Grady County)

Franklin County High School (Franklin County)

Monroe High School (Dougherty County)

Valdosta High School (Lowndes County)

Camden County High School (Camden County)

Hepzibah High School (Richmond County)

North Georgia Technical College

Cass High School (Bartow County)

Jordan Vocational High School (Muscogee County)

Tift County High School (Tift County)

Heating & Air Conditioning Monroe High School (Dougherty County)

Technical Education Center (Carroll County)

Each NCCER logo on the map represents one NCCER / CEFGA Accredited Construction Program. CEFGA reached a recordnumber of accredited programs in Georgia with 72 fully-accredited programs in the state.

For more information about NCCER / CEFGA Accreditation contact Kevin Ward at ward@cefga.org or 678-889-4445.

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Go Build Georgia High School Team

By The Go Build Georgia Team

G

o Build Georgia has had a busy and successful year.

Go Build Georgia recently celebrated its one year anniversary of its launch on January 17, 2012. Since that time, Go Build Georgia has been crisscrossing the state to spread awareness for professions in the skilled trades. One of the most notable successes in 2012 for Go Build Georgia was the launch of the Go Build Georgia High School Team Project.

The Go Build Georgia High School Team Project is made up of students, parents, faculty, and business leaders that are focused on promoting careers in the skilled trades. These high school teams host skilled trade career days, visit industry sites, and talk to skilled professionals about the benefits of working in Georgia’s skilled trade sector.

The project had the initial goal of starting teams in 50 percent of Georgia high schools by the end of the 2012-2013 school year. The Go Build Georgia team exceeded this goal by establishing the program in 168 high schools before the end of 2012. The excitement behind the Go Build Georgia High School Team Project has spread across the state and the

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Governor Deal and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development recognized Locust Grove High School for being the goal setting public high school in the Go Build Georgia High School Team project. GOWD set forth a goal of having 50 percent of Georgia’s public high schools committed to the project by the end of school year 2012-2013. With overwhelming success, the project reached this goal by the end of the 2012 calendar year. Locust Grove High School is the 168th public high school to accept the challenge of becoming a Go Build Georgia High School.

The Georgia Contractor

program is continuing to grow.

Go Build Georgia High School Teams connect students to future sustainable careers that are often overlooked during the career development process. This program provides an avenue to help engage students with a wider field of career options. Students who participate with the Go Build Georgia High School Teams Project will have a clearer perspective of how their coursework relates to career options, as they get involved in a career pathway or a program of study that forms a coherent sequence of relevant, career-focused courses. These networking experiences can help plug students into the workforce pipeline and grant them access to information about on-the-job

training, apprenticeships, and other programs from skilled professionals.

The Go Build Georgia High School Team Project allows students to have fun while learning more about rewarding careers in the skilled trades. More than one-third of skilled trade workers are over 50 and nearing retirement. This has left an enormous need in Georgia’s workforce and an exceptional opportunity for young people interested in a skilled trade. These career opportunities allow students to make a fair wage while still learning their trade, often with little to no student debt to repay.

With 66.8 percent of 18-26 year olds having little or very little interest in a career in the skilled trades, we are challenged to reverse negative percep-

tions, and the High School Teams Project is the first step of many to ensure these industries continue to thrive in the state of Georgia.

The 2013 CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships are a shining example of how to engage Georgia’s high school students in the skilled trades.

Students get to showcase their talents and passion for the skilled trades. These students are already a step ahead by taking their education and future into their own hands with a proactive attitude.

To find out more information on getting involved with a Go Build Georgia High School Team or starting a team at your school, contact Dr. Karen Curtis at 404-463-5030 or at workforce@georgia.gov. v

CLP: Closing the Skills Gap One Job at a Time Closing the Skills Gap – what does that mean?

To CLP it means providing workforce solutions to our customers and creating opportunities to put people to work every day. We change lives of our customers and workers by doing one thing and doing it well: skilled trades staffing! We provide qualified workers to customers throughout Georgia and the entire United States. We partner with some of the largest and best construction companies to provide safe, reliable employment opportunities to thousands of workers each day.

CLP is proud to align with CEFGA as its placement program leader. We take certified students and work with our customers and CEFGA members to place these students as temporary workers or as temporary to permanent employees, affording you the cost benefit of testing a workers skills set and match for values prior to signing that person on permanently.

This model creates win-win for both the employer and the employee. We invest in the students training and meeting our customer’s priorities and objectives remains our clear directive.

The CEFGA System, a construction Workforce Development Plan for Georgia, is shown below:

AWARE NE SS WEBSITES, OUTREACH, MEDIA TRAINING/EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEVEL SKILLED TRADES PROGRAMS PLACEMENT/EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CLP, LABOR UNIONS, AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY TERRY DAUGHERTY | CLP RESOURCES 8975 Roswell Road Suite 207 Atlanta, GA 30350 678-710-0826 678-710-0829 fax 404-987-9325 cell tdaugherty@clp.com www.clp.com

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Lower Cost, Lighter Carbon Footprint: Designing an All-wood Podium Building 711 for the requirements of the horizontal assembly. Section 711.2 states the floor and roof assemblies shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction which, in a Type V building, includes wood. The less common method is to go with Type IV Heavy Timber Construction, per Section 509.4, which allows parking beneath Residential Group R. “We’ve seen an increase in all-wood podiums on the West Coast, mostly because of the cost savings but also because it’s the simplest design solution,” said Michelle Kam-Biron, SE, senior technical director for WoodWorks and the lead for mid-rise.

“Having the same material from the foundation up lends itself to having one structural engineer design the entire building instead of different firms handling the wood-frame floors and concrete podium. Wood podiums are just as feasible in Atlanta and provide the same benefits, so it stands to reason that, as designers here become more familiar with them,

Submitted by WoodWorks An initiative of the Wood Products Council, WoodWorks provides free project support and resources related to the design of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings. For projects in Georgia, contact Scott Lockyear, PE, at scott@woodworks.org. Questions regarding wood podiums can be sent to Michelle Kam-Biron, SE, at michelle@woodworks.org or Karyn Beebe, PE, at karyn.beebe@apawood.org.

A wood podium is comprised of wood structural panels supported by I-joists and glued laminated (glulam) timber beams, topped in gypcrete or other lightweight concrete. Under the International Building Code (IBC), it can be designed in one of two ways. The most common is to design the building as Type V Mixed Use Occupancy with separate occupancies for the woodframe floors and podium per IBC 508.3.3, which refers to Section

Oceano at Warner Center Photo credit: West Coast Aerial Photography, courtesy APA

With a ten-story wood building nearly complete in Australia and studies demonstrating the feasibility of going higher still, wood highrises have been the subject of much discussion among architects and in the architectural press. But while we’ve all been looking up, there has been a quiet revolution toward the greater use of wood in mid-rise—because it offers higher density at lower cost than other materials as well as a reduced carbon footprint. Podium structures, which include multiple stories of residential wood-frame construction over a podium deck, have become especially common for architects seeking to incorporate retail, restaurants and parking into their designs. However, while the podium is typically concrete, a handful of designers have lowered their costs even further by designing it in wood.

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The Georgia Contractor

we'll start seeing some examples.”

In the southern US, durability of materials is an important consideration. For wood podiums, architects design the building envelope so the wood members are not exposed to the environment. At the four-story Oceana apartment complex in California, designers chose to further protect the wood elements with drywall, sheathing, and stucco on all subterranean surfaces including the shear walls. However, designers of the three-story Galt Place, also in California, took a different approach, leaving the glulam beams exposed for the increased aesthetic appeal and to monitor their performance over time.

For the architects of both projects, cost was the main reason to use wood. “When determining the cost of a structure, there are a lot variables, including most notably time, material,s and labor,” said Karyn Beebe, PE, of APA. “Using wood instead of concrete lowers the mass of the building, which results in more economical podium shear walls and foundations. Using the same material for the entire structure may also mean lower design costs, and the construction team experiences savings in the form of fewer trades on site, which means less mobilization time, greater efficiency because framing is repeated on all of the levels, easier field modifications, and a faster schedule.”

Architect Dan Withee, AIA, LEED AP, of Withee Malcolm Architects designed an 85-unit wood podium project in San Diego. He estimates that a concrete podium can cost $15,000 per parking space compared to $9,500 for wood podium. “Many

Glulam, I-joists, OSB sheathing and lumber were used to construct the Oceano wood podium. Photo credit: West Coast Aerial Photography, courtesy APA

apartment developers I run into tell me they just can’t afford concrete podium any longer,” he said.

At Oceano, the design team estimated that the wood podium was approximately two-thirds the cost of a concrete podium even with the learning process associated with a new system. Although a cost comparison wasn’t done for Galt Place, the design team noted soft cost savings resulting from faster construction time and the need for fewer trades.

Beebe says wood podiums also offer other benefits. “Field modifications of a wood deck away from the beam line are easier to accommodate because it isn't necessary to x-ray the slab for rebar and/or post-tensioned stand placement. The fact that a wood podium is less massive than concrete is also beneficial in high seismic zones where building mass impacts lateral design

Galt Place under construction Photo credit: MFMalinowski AIA

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loads.” The wood podium design allowed both Oceano and Galt Place to use light-framed shear walls on the first level, as well as smaller foundations than would have been needed for concrete.

Design professionals who have built wood podiums say the key to addressing challenges is coordination among the entire architecture, engineering and construction team. For example, the Oceano design included a large amount of stacking structural elements, which doesn’t tend to be the case with concrete podium projects. The architect recognized the challenge at the outset and brought the team together early in the process to encourage collaboration. As the project’s structural engineer, Tom VanDorpe, SE, noted, “Simple is good, as with the stackable design, but this requires extreme coordination.” The team used Building Information Modeling (BIM) to enhance the collaboration process, which allowed them to address 80 to 90 percent of potential field issues prior to construction.

One challenge for any podium structure is placement of utilities. On a concrete podium, the utilities generally run in chases below the 12-14-inch slab. Even on projects that stack, including concrete podiums, utilities can be difficult to place. Options include increasing the floor-to-floor height to accommodate a

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deeper floor slab and utility chase or designing holes in the glulam beams for utility placement.

Shrinkage is another challenge in any wood-frame building over three stories and must be taken into account so it doesn’t impact mechanical and plumbing systems or interior and exterior finishes. Consideration is most important in designs that create an opportunity for differential change—such as multiple woodframe floors over a concrete podium. “Shrinkage calculations aren't complex,” said Kam-Biron. “However, it’s an area designers often aren’t familiar with and they need to accommodate for differential movement if they’re using different materials. One of the nice things about wood podiums is that the shrinkage and overall structural movement is consistent for the entire building.”

“Wood podium construction is simply an extension of what designers have been doing for almost 60 years—tucking cars away under units in one-space depths directly off concrete driveways,” said Michael Malinowski, AIA of Applied Architecture Inc., who designed Galt Place. “The use of an all-wood podium has been called innovative—but in reality it’s a bit retro. It’s so common to assume that a project will have a concrete or steel podium that often the simplest solution is overlooked.” v

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GA 811: Call Before You Dig

By Daniel Simmons

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hether you’re a professional builder who’s digging the foundation for an office complex or just an average citizen who wants to find out if that hole behind the azaleas really does lead to a gopher den, calling to check for buried utility lines beforehand can seem about as overzealous as requesting airspace clearance from NORAD for your 4th of July fireworks show. I mean, chances are pretty good that nothing will happen, right?

It’s true, the odds are that the worst thing you’ll have to contend with is an angry gopher and, even more likely, a wife who wants to know what happened to her azaleas. But then again, you might get your toes blown off.

Twenty year-old Cliff Meidl was working on a construction crew in November of 1986 and had been instructed to operate a jackhammer. About fifteen minutes after he started: “...boom, right there, I ended up hitting three unmarked buried high voltage cables. There was such a large amount of electricity that was going through these cables it actually blasted me out of the hole. I ended up sliding back down into the ditch and there was the energised jackhammer vertically embedded into the power cables, and my knees essentially got sucked back into the energised jackhammer and that’s when I received my second round of electrical shock. The electricity was just shooting throughout my body and it was finding all these different weak points: the back of my head, my shoulder blades, those were some of the exit wounds along with I had two toes blown off on my right leg. But most of the damage was to the knee area where I came in contact with the jackhammer for the second time, and I had about a third of the knee compartment 22

that was blown away on both of my knees.”

When paramedics arrived, Meidi’s heart had stopped. EMTs were able to revive him and bring him, literally smouldering, to a nearby hospital. Three years and fifteen surgeries later, he was able to take his first unaided step. After several more years of tirelessly training and rehabilitating, he went on to compete in the 1996 as well as 2000 Olympic games’ kayaking competition. The combination of this horrific accident and the renown that Meidi went on to win on the world’s athletic stage made him a perfect spokesman for the Georgia 811 Utilities Protection Center Inc. and the ‘Call before you dig’ campaign, “My personal story connects me deeply to the safe digging message.” Meidi explains, “It is an important reminder to us all, that accidents can happen to anyone. Dedication to the goal of safe digging is a shared responsibility… between the excavator, the locator, the facility operators, and the 811 communication centers that connect them. A handful of simple steps can help make your excavation site accident-free, and ensure public safety and the safety of your crew. Because

safe digging is often as simple as knowing what’s below,” In a video testimony, Meidi reflects on the fact that “a simple call, a bit of paint and colored flags would have made the difference between me leaving that site... in an ambulance or on my own two feet.” Today, digging blindly without knowledge of what’s beneath you is more dangerous than ever, as underground infrastructure has grown enormously in recent years. Even a shallow hole in a residential setting under an azalea bush could lead to deadly gas or power lines. v

The Georgia Contractor

Lessons Learned Construction Engineering Services

Observations and Lessons from the School of Experience: Winter Grading

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uring winter, project managers find themselves scrambling to bring projects to a point where they are ‘in the dry’ so work can continue unhampered by wet weather brought on by winter. Unfortunately, not all projects get to that point before the winter rains begin.

These are some measures that can be taken to help keep grading moving along if you are required to ‘move dirt’ during the winter.

Standard summer practice is to grade a building pad to subgrade elevation, leaving it flat while foundations and walls are constructed. During winter construction, this practice can spell disaster. As the soils get wet and construction equipment crosses the site, the subgrade can lose its strength, requiring undercut to prepare for slab construction. Grading the building pad ‘high’ and crowned will help protect the slab subgrade from direct contact by heavy construction traffic. When the time comes to construct the slab, the additional soils can be cut to subgrade elevation with little or no additional undercut necessary.

This technique is especially cost effective if the building pad is ‘in cut.’ An alternative technique would be to grade to subgrade and place a stone base. The stone should be a well graded stone such as crusher run, commonly referred to as 21A in some areas. Compacted crusher run tends to shed water, where washed stone (an open graded stone) will hold water.

On larger construction sites it is good practice to establish a network of roads to channel construction traffic.

These construction roads can be better stabilized with crusher run or geotextiles so access to the site can continue during March - April 2013

the worst weather conditions. Construction roads will typically require maintenance during the winter. Equally important, the contractor must enforce access discipline so these access ways are properly utilized.

While site grading can be accomplished during the winter period, it comes with a greater cost. Grading generally takes more time due to wetter soils and more ‘weather’ days. Frequently, soils are wasted because of frost and higher moisture contents.

These costs and extra time are a reality and should be figured into the project schedule and budget. Strategies to reduce the impact of weather during winter grading include: 1) Working larger areas with each lift. Placing soil over a larger area can allow the soils more time to dry before the next lift is added. 2) Work wet soils with light equipment.

Wet soils can be compacted if they are within a compactable moisture range; however, repeated crossing of those soils with heavy equipment, such as dump trucks or pans, can cause the soil to start ‘pumping’ even if it was previously compacted and stable. These wetter soils can best be worked by pushing them out into a lift with a self-propelled compactor from a single dump point. Winter is also an excellent time to employ chemical stabilization of wet soils using lime, cement, or stable flyash, as appropriate. Lime can be used to help dry any soil, and can be used with some clays to improve the soil. Cement can also be used to ‘dry’ soil, and as a stabilizing agent. Properly employed with the appropriate soils, both lime and cement can be used to create nearly ‘weatherproof’ subgrades.

Flyash should only be used as a last resort as not all flyash is stable. Ask for a

certified laboratory swell test on material; if one cannot be supplied, do not use flyash.

Finally, there is no substitute for ‘good housekeeping.’ The site should be sloped to clear water quickly, and channelize it away from the work area. Pot holes, rough areas, and wheel ruts need to be regularly filled in to facilitate rapid clearing of rain or snow melt.

In closing, winter construction will increase the cost of construction, especially site grading. However, careful planning and proper execution can reduce these costs and help make your project even more successful. We hope this Lesson Learned is beneficial to you in achieving that goal.

ECS Corporate Services, LLC v

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Contractor News Heery International Names Rich Driggs Director of Construction Management Rich Driggs has been named National Director of Construction Management and Design-Build at Heery International. He is replacing Lin Redden, who is retiring after a 40-year construction career, the last 20 years of which have been at Heery.

Mr. Driggs has over 22 years of construction and real estate industry experience. He comes to Heery from Lend Lease Corporation, where he served as Executive Vice President and Head of Integrated Projects—Americas. He was responsible for business in excess of $1 billion annually and served key clients in the health care, higher education, K-12 education, government, and commercial markets. He previously served as Managing Director for Bovis Lend Lease’s multisite group, which included national/international projects for clients in the oil, banking, hospitality, and restaurant sectors.

Mr. Driggs holds a bachelor of science degree from Purdue University, as well as executive education credentials from Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University. He is a member of the Design-Build Institute of America.

“Rich has a well-deserved reputation as an advocate for his clients,” says Heery President Bill Heitz. “Since client advocacy is an essential character trait for all employees at Heery, we anticipate that Rich will excel in leading Heery’s at-risk and design-build business.”

Heery International is an architecture, interior design, engineering, program management and construction management firm with offices nationwide. As an affiliated company of Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, Heery now operates as that firm’s U.S. buildings operating company. (www.heery.com) v

IEC Georgia Starts Second First-Year Apprenticeship Course in Columbus IEC Georgia began its second first year apprenticeship program in Columbus earlier this week. February 18th at 5:30pm, the doors to the Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center opened to 19 IEC apprentices. Students from some of the top Columbus area contractors such as Alexander Electric, Ritch Electric, and Jordan Electric, came prepared to invest in themselves, their companies, and become top skilled electricians.

In the weeks following, IEC instructor Brian Gardner will provide his apprentices with the basic principles, tools, blueprints, applied math, wiring methods, and other processes that certified electricians are required to know. The class will finish mid-September, but this is only the beginning of their informative four year journey with IEC. IEC’s apprenticeship program strengthens the quality of the electrical industry. We can’t wait to see the results of this promising group entering the workforce.

IEC is a trade association for merit shop electrical contractors and offers a wide array of training programs for apprentices and experienced electricians. In addition to the electrical apprenticeship training program, IEC provides personnel referral including loan/borrow programs, and provides a broad range of informational resources for electrical contractors in Atlanta and Georgia. For more information about IEC and its programs, contact Niel Dawson, Executive Director at 770-242-9277 or niel.dawson@iecgeorgia.org v 24

The Georgia Contractor

McCarthy Construction Crews Across America Go Red for Women Hundreds of construction workers wore red shirts today to join in the American Heart Association’s effort to educate women about heart disease and ‘build healthier lives.’

Hundreds of construction workers wore red shirts today to join in the American Heart Association’s effort to educate women about heart disease and ‘build healthier lives.’

Construction workers and subcontractors on McCarthy Building Companies Inc., projects across America are wearing red today in support of the American Heart Association (AHA) National Wear Red Day®, including a crew on site at the Emory Healthcare campus. This effort is designed to focus attention on the number one killer of women – heart disease. McCarthy is one of the largest commercial construction companies in the U.S. and a strong supporter of AHA efforts nationwide.

“Our crews and staff are proud to Go Red in support of the AHA’s efforts to increase awareness about the dangers of heart disease,” said Kevin Kuntz, president of McCarthy Building Companies, southeast division. “Our employees have shared their stories about how heart disease has touched their lives—sometimes tragically—and we want to encourage everyone to learn the risks and work to build healthier and more active lives.”

To help spread the word, McCarthy is providing literature about heart disease in women at the firm’s jobsites and office locations for all to review and share with women in their lives. McCarthy is utilizing its “Heart Hats” community involvement program, in conjunction with the firm’s award-winning McCarthy Build for Life health and wellness program, to motivate staff and increase awareness about the dangers of heart disease. Each year, McCarthy Heart Hats volunteers donate countless hours of in-kind services and monetary contributions to improve local communities.

“Construction sites aren’t typically associated with positive, inspiring, health-related stories, but we hope McCarthy sites across the nation can change that today,” added Kuntz.

About McCarthy McCarthy Building Companies Inc. is one of the oldest and largest commercial construction companies in America. A true builder, McCarthy is committed to the construction of high performance green buildings; progressive job site technology; and safer, faster, and more cost-effective execution. In 2010, the firm launched McCarthy Build for Life to encourage all employees and their families to strive toward optimal mental, physical, financial, and emotional well-being.

In 2012, McCarthy was honored as a Platinum-level Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com. v March - April 2013

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Facing Today’s Challenges: The Georgia Regional Future City Competition

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oday, we face some of the greatest challenges in our history; increases in global population, sustainable food production, clean energy, and climate change. Solving these problems requires knowledge, creativity, and innovation, as well as an increased understanding of how these pressing issues are interrelated.

Interdisciplinary educational programs and competitions that focus on these and other STEM topics are important, now more than ever, because they build the twenty first century skills we need to face these challenges. In 1992, six teams from six cities, including one from Atlanta, Georgia, took on these challenges when they competed in the first Future City Competition.

Twenty years later, Future City now has 36 regions across the country and reaches over 33,000 students each year.

It has garnered national attention and acclaim for its role in encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering, and math through its hands on applications.

The only national engineering competition for middle school students, this cross-curricular educational program gives students an opportunity to do the things that professionals in the engineering, architecture, construction and urban planning fields do: identify problems, brainstorm ideas, design solutions, test, build, and share their results.

Future City helps build the 21st century skills we need to face today’s challenges. A 2012 national survey of participants by the Concord Evaluation Group found that: • 85 percent claimed it helped them learn and appreciate everything that goes into planning and maintaining a city.

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82 percent reported Future City en-

Future City Participants

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hanced their ability to work in teams 81 percent said it taught them that they could create something on their own.

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80 percent reported it helped them see that math and science are important to their future.

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62 percent developed a greater awareness of civic issues like politics and taxes.

This year’s Future City Competition was entitled “Rethink Runoff: Design clean solutions to manage stormwater pollution.” Working with educators and professional mentors, teams from around the state were asked to identify and research how to increase filtration, reduce pervious surfaces, improve water quality, and conserve water. They did this with an eye on its integration into the larger built environment, exploring urban planning, city services and management, transportation and infrastructure.

Team Aqua Serenity from Queen of Angels Catholic School won the Georgia Regional Competition held on the cam-

pus of Southern Polytechnic State University. Matt Cox, Joe Hill and Nathaniel Poschel addressed this pressing problem in their city through changes to landscaping to reduce runoff and soil erosion, using fewer chemicals in the home, the installation of rain gardens, permeable surfaces and roof gardens, and the extensive use of filtration systems. As part of their participation at the National Competition in Washington DC they got a tour of the city, were treated to a special message from President Obama, a live video message from the space station, and they got to meet Nate Ball, host of PBS’s Design Squad and Stone Librande, the lead software designer of Simcity.

They also got to test drive the new SimCity 5 scheduled for release in March. Redesigned around the idea that cities are people not buildings, the new version provides important feedback on the demographics and lives of the sims.

This change will reinforce the idea that our choices have real consequences that effect real people’s lives and that finding the right solution involves exploring a complex set of variants. Our students The Georgia Contractor

will be using the new software to solve next year’s theme: “Tomorrow’s Transit: Design a way to move People in and around your city.”

The Georgia Regional Future City Competition is one of the largest in the nation and is based at Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), which provides administrative, logistical, and practical support overseeing all operational functions of the competition.

SPSU is also one of our Platinum Partner Sponsors along with SHELL, CH2MHILL and AT&T. Our success is based on the strength of the professional community who serve as mentors, judges and volunteers. For more information about Future City or on how you can join the team, please visit our Web site at www.spsu.edu/futurecity. If you would like to get involved or sponsor the competition please contact the Georgia Regional Coordinator, Professor Tony Rizzuto Ph.D. at trizzuto@spsu.edu. v

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MATH Really Does COUNT!

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ath is key for America. Per the NewsUSA, success in mathematics has been linked to success in college and future careers. Simply stated, math counts when it comes to a bright future. The Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (GSPE) is committed to encouraging and getting youth involved in math. GSPE is dedicated to increasing the awareness of the importance of math. This is why GSPE hosts the annual Georgia MATHCOUNTS Competition.

MATHCOUNTS is a national math enrichment, coaching and competition program for middle school students. In existence for over 30 years, MATHCOUNTS is one of the most successful education partnerships involving middle school students, educators, corporate sponsors, and volunteers.

With a decline in students entering college to major in engineering and/or technology fields, GSPE is a strong advocate for the MATHCOUNTS program that emboldens students at the middle school level to strive for excellence in math and science. Enjoying the thrill and excitement of these core academic classes at the middle school level will lay the ground work for youth to recognize the importance of math and science as they mature into young adults.

The Georgia MATHCOUNTS pro-

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gram has been a huge accomplishment for GSPE. The Atlanta Metro Chapter organizes the largest MATHCOUNTS Competition in the nation. The chapter welcomes five hundred students from Metropolitan Atlanta to Georgia Tech for their competition every year. GSPE hosts chapter competitions throughout the state of Georgia. Local chapter competitions are also held in Albany and Valdosta (South Georgia Chapter), Athens (Northeast Chapter), Augusta, Cobb, Columbus, Macon (Middle Georgia Chapter), Rome (Northwest Chapter), Savannah, and West Georgia.

Work with GSPE in ensuring a bright future for our youth and country. Get middle school students involved in MATHCOUNTS. The NewsUSA provided tips to assist families in helping children overcome the fear of math: VALIDATE IT: Don’t be a parent who says, ‘I was never good at math.’ It only sends the wrong message that ‘math is hard’ and it has null value. Instead, stress that math is something that has to be learned by putting time and effort into it—like anything else.

ADD IT UP: Point out math in everyday life. Make sure your child knows that math is relevant, whether it’s figuring out how long a road trip will take or making a grocery budget. Show them how you work out math problems.

MULTIPLY IT: Find online resources to help your child acquire the math skills he or she needs. There are plenty of free online resources to help teach and build math skills. You’ll find everything from entertaining math tricks to multiplication shortcuts to free online practice sessions like the ones on SylvanMathPrep.com.

They provide online video lessons on all sorts of math problems to help with math homework and studying.

SOLVE IT: While classroom learning may be enough for one child, it may not be enough for another. Supplemental math instruction from a professional source can provide the one-on-one attention that is sometimes missing from a busy classroom. Giving a child the time and opportunity to ask questions and learn math at their own pace can open doors of understanding—and eventually provide them with the confidence they need to learn in a classroom setting.

CHECK IT: If algebra is around the corner for your child, log onto www.Fit4Algebra.org, and have him or her take the Fit 4 Algebra Challenge! The free test takes 20 minutes. You’ll also gain access to other free resources to help your child get in tip-top shape for algebra.

For additional information on MATHCOUNTS, visit www.mathcounts.org and www.gspe.org. v

The Georgia Contractor

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The Best and Brightest Face off at SkillsUSA

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his month, SkillsUSA Georgia will hold its annual State Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta. There, the best and brightest high school career and technical education students will face off against one another for the opportunity to earn a coveted gold medal and more importantly, the recognition of their achievement as a State Champion.

The competition allows students to take the skills, knowledge, and experience that they have gained in their classrooms to a whole new level and measure their skills against industry standards under the scrutiny of seasoned professionals.

These students have been prepared for the challenges presented by the conference through their involvement in trade/ technical education programs provided by high schools throughout the state in such fields as architecture, construction, communication, transportation, culinary arts, personal care services and public safety.

The three-day event spans from March 21 through 23 and will be held primarily at the Georgia International Convention Center and Gateway Marriott Hotel, but much more actually takes place all across the metro area and beyond.

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partners welcome competitors into their facilities to test their skills. Students will travel to Allan Vigil Ford, Heidelberg USA, Atlanta Technical College, Walton High School, Devry University, and West Georgia Technical College to compete in settings that mirror industry standards.

Students compete in contests such as technical drafting, welding, advertising design, television video production, automotive refinishing technology, criminal justice, commercial baking and esthetics.

Business and industry partners create an incredible hands-on, dynamic Career Expo for the atten-

dees. The Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) and the Transportation Education Foundation of Georgia (TEFGA) will host a two day Career Expo event at the Georgia International Convention Center on March 21 and 22. Students truly have the opportunity to try out a career and gain some first hand, real life experience. During the event, US Education TV will stream the event live with interviews conducted

by SkillsUSA Alumni that are currently pursuing degrees in broadcasting along with Spanish broadcasting provided by Univision. The Championships are supported by over 1,000 business and industry partners who give of their time and expertise to support the contests and expo.

The total in-kind and monetary contributions from business and industry exceed $750,000.

On Saturday morning, March 23, the competitors will be joined by their teachers and many parents to celebrate their success during the Awards Ceremony held at the Georgia International Convention Center. A total of 215 gold medallions will be awarded to competitors from across the state. Gold Medalists from the State Championships will advance to the National Championships which will be held from June 24 –29 in Kansas City, Missouri. v

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