CHARLOTTE, N.C — A 2020 survey by the Associated General Contractors of America shows around 80% of construction firms have trouble filling both salaried and hourly craft positions. Goodwill Industries is hopeful some of their customers can help fill those positions by completing their free construction training courses.

What You Need To Know

  • Goodwill Industries offers free construction and trade skill courses

  • Goodwill Industries works with Charlotte area construction companies to find jobs for training graduates

  • Goodwill construction and trade skills training courses include forklift training, construction basics, blueprint reading and estimating, HVAC skills, and drone pilot training

James Taylor Jr. came to the Charlotte Goodwill after spending more than a decade living on the street.

“I done seen the bottom. Once you see it, you definitely don’t want to stay there,” Taylor said.

He was offered construction courses with Goodwill, where he made top marks in all his classes. So good, in fact, he was connected with DPR Construction for an interview. In April, he began directing traffic and checking inventory at a DPR construction site with Rodgers Builders.

“A lot of people probably couldn’t do this because you have to be social, you have to be patient, you have to care about it,” Taylor said.

His interview was with a Project Executive for DPR Construction, Adam Kouri. Kouri is also James' supervisor at the construction site.

“If I could get more folks like James coming through there then we’d hire every one of them,” Kouri said.

Goodwill's construction and trade skills training courses include forklift training, construction basics, blueprint reading and estimating, HVAC skills and drone pilot training.