Mission: We put people to work in the construction industry.
Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) is a sector-focused, employer-driven partnership. They listen carefully to employers and follow their leads, creating programs that meet their workforce needs. They find innovative ways to meet the needs of Georgia residents seeking rewarding careers in construction. Supported by hundreds of leading construction companies, trade associations, and private foundations, CEFGA is the largest national center for construction education and research accredited training organization in Georgia, with more than 50 accredited training and education facilities throughout the state.
Leveraging Technology to Connect Construction Employees with Quality Construction Jobs
CEFGA’s Dream Big Technology Grant idea is to harness the power of technology to better connect graduates of its training programs with quality construction companies seeking new talent. Construction, along with health care and personal care, will account for one-third of all new jobs through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
CEFGA envisions a cloud-based platform, similar to LinkedIn or Monster.com, but designed specifically for graduates of its training programs to connect with pre-screened employers who provide quality, long-term career opportunities. It will be a private job board that ensures graduates of its training programs have immediate access to the best construction careers. It will ensure that quality, pre-screened construction companies have access to the best candidates.
Currently, CEFGA’s matching is a labor-intensive and inefficient process of helping graduates who are laid off by one employer to connect with a new employer. The current process involves phone calls, texts, and emails from graduates seeking a new opportunity and employers seeking new talent.
The proposed cloud-based job board will allow CEFGA to more efficiently connect career seekers with employers. It will allow graduates to get back to work and find quality career opportunities that are a good fit for them faster.
While students are in training with CEFGA, they will complete their online profiles or virtual resumes within the platform. They will be able to upload photos and videos of their work, post their credentials, and describe any specific work experiences. Each candidate will maintain this profile after graduation and add new skills, new credentials, new experiences, and new images once they begin working in the industry. When CEFGA-trained workers are laid off from a project or ready to pursue a new opportunity, they would be able to activate their CEFGA profiles, so these become visible to pre-screened construction companies seeking to hire graduates of CEFGA’s training program.
CEFGA programs will turn out approximately 1,800 industry-certified, career-ready individuals in . As this exceptional nonprofit organization continues its expansion across the City of Atlanta and throughout the state, the number of career-ready workers will increase, especially by engaging technologies to connect employers and qualified job seekers in the construction industry.
