Charlotte Launches Free Skilled to Build Course to Help Small Firms Compete for Big Contracts
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina — The City of Charlotte announced on November 3 a free course, Skilled to Build, to prepare local small businesses for the construction work expected in coming years and keep jobs and money local.
According to the Charlotte Newsroom, the program was created by the city's Economic Development, Workforce Development and Contracting and Procurement teams, with Growmetix designing a six-course business-coaching curriculum. Program manager Alban Burney said the goal is to teach small firms how to bid for big contracts.
In 2025 Mecklenburg County voters approved a 1% sales tax increase for roads and transit, collected since July 1, 2026, and expected to raise about $19.4 billion over several decades; an early-2026 report found construction demand will outgrow the workforce by 2030. Applications for the first cohort open in early 2027, when the program formally launches.
Source: City of Charlotte
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：夏洛特市中心天际线实景。 Photo: The Charlotte, North Carolina skyline. Photo by Mrtoebiter1971 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
