The Georgia Department of Education is partnering with The Home Depot to introduce Georgia students to career opportunities in the skilled trades through Path to Pro Skills Explorers, a free set of hands-on career-exploration resources for middle- and high-school students. State School Superintendent Richard Woods joined Home Depot executive leadership to announce the launch of the partnership at a Path to Pro event and press conference on Thursday, September 17.

"CTAE opportunities are at the core of our efforts to ensure Georgia is the Top State for Talent," Superintendent Woods said. "We're proud to partner with The Home Depot to give students another way to discover the trades early, build real-world skills, and discover a clear path from the classroom to a high-demand career. Georgia students already have strong Career Pathways available to them in construction and related fields, and resources like this help bring that experience to life in the classroom and beyond." 

Skills Explorers is designed for use by educators, parents, and youth organizations, offering hands-on modules in fields like construction, electrical work, and plumbing. It's part of a broader initiative of The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation to make 15 million introductions to skilled trades careers by 2032.

"For nearly a decade, The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation have provided free training to separating military, youth, career changers, and other communities interested in pursuing a career in the trades," said Michael Rowe, Executive Vice President – Pro, The Home Depot. "However, with a lack of youth interested in these careers, we're expanding our programs to introduce more people to the trades, because closing the skilled labor gap starts long before someone applies for a job. We have to start by helping young people see what's possible."

The curriculum is designed to introduce students to fields where the demand for skilled workers is outpacing the supply of people trained to fill those jobs—from carpentry to electrical work. The resources align with existing state introductory courses in the construction pathway. Additionally, several modules cover gardening, electricity, and safety- that could enrich STEM and STEAM instruction in elementary and middle schools. 

"When our CTAE team reviewed Skills Explorers against our high school course standards, we saw clear alignment with the introductory skills students are already building in the classroom," said Dr. Barbara Wall, GaDOE's Deputy Superintendent for Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education. "When resources like this connect directly to our Career Pathways, students get more hands-on exposure to the skilled trades at the moment they're starting to think about their future." 

Georgia's CTAE programs prepare students for life after high school through Career Pathways that connect classroom learning to real-world skills and in-demand careers. Students can also earn industry-recognized credentials and take part in work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities that prepare them for their next step after high school—whether that's college, the military, an apprenticeship, or a career.

More information on Path to Pro Skills Explorers is available at PathToPro.com/Skills-Explorers.