By Nic Cornelison
President of P&C Construction
Director of the Construction Career Center
Executive Officer of AGC East Tennessee
Back in 2018, a few of us from AGC East Tennessee sat around a table and asked one big question: What are we going to do about the workforce crisis?
We all felt firsthand the growing gap between the demand for skilled labor and the number of people entering the trades. It wasn’t a new problem, but it was getting worse and we were done just talking about it.
That conversation was the start of something much bigger than we could’ve imagined. Fast forward to today, and what began as a vision shared by AGC East Tennessee, Hamilton County, Hamilton County Schools, Chattanooga State’s TCAT, and the City of Chattanooga has become the Construction Career Center (CCC), a nationally recognized model for workforce development and a place where lives are being changed every single day.
When we opened the doors in 2022, we had just 20 high school students and 10 adult learners. Now? We’re up to 120 high school students, a full adult cohort, and growing waitlists. But this didn’t happen by accident. It worked because the industry got involved—really involved.
Many of our graduates are making more money at 18 or 19 than their families have ever seen. That’s not just economic mobility—that’s generational change.
We didn’t just advise on curriculum … we showed up with boots on. We brought students onto job sites. We donated tools. We taught. We mentored. Most importantly, we believed in them.
Built By Industry, For the Future
What makes CCC work is that it’s truly built by industry. Every nail in the walls and every credential in a student’s hand is the result of collaboration between contractors, educators, and community leaders. We didn’t just create a school. We built a launchpad.
High school juniors and seniors split their day between traditional classes at their home schools and hands-on trade education at CCC. They learn about all of the trades – framing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, carpentry, structures, concrete – to give them a holistic view of construction. If they finish the full program, they wiull graduate with 18 industry-recognized credentials through NCCER, OSHA-10, and up to 32 college credit hours toward a Construction Management degree.
Adults go through a similar year-long training path, and through AGC scholarships and state grants, we’ve made sure barriers like transportation, childcare, and tools don’t stand in their way.
Because the CCC is in an underserved neighborhood, these opportunities matter even more. We’re giving students a pathway right out of high school, and without the burden of massive college debt. Many of our graduates are making more money at 18 or 19 than their families have ever seen.
That’s not just economic mobility—that’s generational change. It’s happening because AGC members believe in the power of community, and they’re backing it with action.
A Different Kind of Learning
We owe a lot to Tony Donen from Hamilton County Schools. Instead of sticking kids in front of computers in a classroom to learn, he understood that it is the hands-on experience that matters. He pushed for a model based on project-based learning. Students don’t just read about construction, they do it.
They’ve built real things for real causes: dog houses for the McKamey Animal Shelter with New Blue Construction, benches for the Zoo and public parks with TU Parks, and hands-on training in roofing, HVAC, plumbing, and more from companies like JDH Roofing and Callahan Mechanical. Our team at P&C is working with Chattanooga Floor Care and others to help students build a large shed at the school to store materials and equipment.
And let me tell you, there’s nothing like watching a student’s confidence build right along with the structure they’re working on. Many of these young people come from tough circumstances. But when they put on a tool belt and finish a project, they’re not just learning a trade—they’re discovering their worth.
From Student to Skilled Pro
I’ll share about a past student, Ever Perez. He attended Howard High School and was part of the CCC’s first high school cohort. After graduation, he entered the TCAT adult program at CCC and kept going. Today, at just 19 years old, Ever is an Assistant Superintendent at P&C Construction—one of the best workers we’ve got. He’s currently working on a major project for us in Alabama and is already earning a great living doing what he loves.
Ever’s story is exactly why we built this. He didn’t have to take on college debt. He didn’t have to wait until his mid-twenties to start a career.
He learned the skills, gained the experience, and now he’s thriving in a profession with limitless potential. That’s the kind of transformation that sticks with you—and it’s happening every day at CCC.
100% Placement. Real Results.
We set a bold goal from day one: 100% placement of every eligible graduate into a job, apprenticeship, or post-secondary education, and we’re delivering. It’s possible because we have a full-time Workforce Director from AGC East Tennessee, Susan Cowden, stationed right at the Center. Our students get internships, mock interviews, summer jobs—all the stepping stones to real, long-term careers.
Entry-level graduates are starting around $18 -$22 an hour with upward mobility built in. We’re not just filling jobs—we’re building futures.
Recognition Is Nice, But This Is Personal
In 2023, the CCC received the National Workforce Development Award from AGC of America. That was a proud moment. But what matters more is seeing local students wiring their first circuit, or operating a backhoe, or talking about a job opportunity with a new sense of pride in their voice.
We’ve become a regional hub—where eighth graders come for Construction Camp, where women take DIY skills courses, and where the whole building industry comes together to learn, collaborate and share their energy and talent with our next generation of builders.
We’re not just solving a workforce problem. We’re igniting a spark—in students, in families, in our industry, and in the community.
What’s Next?
We’re just getting started. Enrollment is climbing. Demand is off the charts. And we’re already exploring expansion—new certification tracks, more adult programming, enhanced support systems for students. Seeing the growing need for space, the City of Chattanooga has donated 1.5 acres next to the CCC for future campus expansion.
Looking back, I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but I’m even more excited about where we’re going. The Construction Career Center was born out of a shared belief that the trades can change lives—and they do.
We’re not just building a pipeline. We’re building people. And that’s a foundation worth standing on.
We’re not just building a pipeline. We’re building
people. And that’s a foundation worth standing on.
