They’ve got the skills. New training program should lead to more jobs

For a while, officials with Sheridan Construction Co. had noticed that there are not enough minority subcontractors for job sites across Middle Georgia.

Rather than bemoan that fact, though, they put a plan in motion to improve the situation.

The program culminates with a graduation Thursday night for those who completed a series of recent training classes.

“In Middle Georgia, there’s just not enough subcontractors to go around for everyone,” said Ronny Williams, the company’s CEO.

Minority subcontractors in the midstate have the skills, he said, but they need more training.

So in February, Sheridan started the RISE program: Readiness Initiative through Sheridan Education.

“We actually started planning this program in April 2016,” Williams said.

Sheridan officials contacted Alex Habersham, publisher of the Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages, to reach out to minority subcontractors who were interested in growing their company.

Retired Mercer professor Linda Brennan helped set up the curriculum for the classes. The workers learned how to be professional in business, how to start a construction project, finish a project and work with insurance companies, among other necessities for being able to do business on a larger scale with a general contractor.

In all, there were six two-hour-long classes. Workers participated in group presentations and received valuable feedback from professionals.

For their fifth class, they worked with Sheridan on a construction project at Mercer University, the $44 million Spearman C. Godsey Science Center, which could be completed by late this year.

“They did a walk-through and learned about safety, quality and preparation,” Williams said.

There will be seven graduates, including RDR Professional Cleaning Service, Turner Handyman Services and A-1 Excavating & Grading.

“It was a very successful program, and I want to applaud Sheridan for having the interest and seeing to it that more people have an opportunity to share the pie,” Habersham said.

Williams said a goal was to build a base of subcontractors that all Middle Georgia contractors can pull from.

Just 10 subcontractors were accepted for the first program, and there’s a waiting list for the next round of classes, he said. A start date hasn’t been set.

Williams said the program is long term, and Sheridan will continue to serve as a resource for the recent graduates.

“We’re not just going to do a class and abandon them,” he said. “They’ve got to have somebody to come to.”

Habersham said the program will make it easier for the subcontractors to find jobs.

“This is good for the community because a rising tide raises the whole ship,” Habersham said. “The better these businesses do, the better the community does.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 5:30 PM with the headline "They’ve got the skills. New training program should lead to more jobs."