‘It Was My Second Chance’

People learn about Construction Ready’s Pre-Apprenticeship training through a variety of connections, including social media, recruiting events, and friends who went though the program. None, however, typically originate at Chick-Fil-A with the CEO of Construction Ready. But that’s just where Sam Smith’s introduction to the program began while he was out of work in the summer of 2024.

“Me and my girlfriend, we had a conversation, and she was like, ‘Well, this guy, his name is Scott, he gave me this [information] for you to look at,’ Sam recalls.

The back story, it turns out, was that Sam’s girlfriend, Desiree, worked at Chick-Fil-A in Smyrna, a half-mile from Construction Ready’s headquarters. President and CEO Scott Shelar was a regular customer and Desiree often took his order. One day she shared Sam’s story with Shelar, and he encouraged her to have Sam apply for the program.

“I went online, followed the instructions, did the application, and I got a call from Westside Works to do my orientation. And that’s how I ended up in the Construction Ready program,” Sam says.

Previously Sam had cycled through a variety of jobs – some in warehousing, one at a rubber compounding factory in North Carolina, and even a stint at Chick-fil-A himself.

“I had a lot of warehouse jobs, and it was kind of difficult,” he says. “Sometimes they just didn’t need the people and they let you go. I was working, trying to get a house, then all of a sudden they would just let me go. And I was just getting tired of it.”

When Sam learned about the Construction Ready opportunity, he perked up. “I told myself, ‘Hey, this may be it,’” he says. “Something always needs to be done in the construction industry, and it’s probably something I can thrive in, because I like to work with my hands.”

Sam went through the training with Group #46 at Westside Works, where he says the partnership with Construction Ready created “a good environment. They were always trying to push you to be better. They were always there to help. I had no money to get back and forth, so the stipend I got from Westside Works really came in handy, because it was my gas money to get to and from class.”

Sam also enjoyed a strong support system with his classmates. “We all pitched in to make sure everybody had [the lessons] down pat and could graduate at the same time, and make sure we all got our credentials,” he says.

When Sam had trouble connecting with his initial employer match, he again found help through his classmate connections.

“One of my friends [from the class] said he hadn’t heard from his company either, so we started looking for other companies,” Sam explains. “He ended up getting hired at Schnabel, and he called me and said, ‘I’m going to send you a link. Go do the application and call this guy. He’ll tell you exactly what you have to do, and they’ll get you hired.’”

Sam began work in November 2024 with Schnabel, which provides customized earth retention and specialty foundation solutions for clients throughout the construction industry. He spent much of his initial time on the job at a water routing project in Atlanta’s Buckhead community. From entry-level work assisting with drilling and excavating, Sam has moved up to driving mini skid steers, and he’s also been trained in working with torches in case assistance is needed for cutting steel and other materials.

“There were a couple of people who came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to teach you to do this,’” Sam says. “And once they did, they were like, ‘Hey, he can do this. We want to keep him with us.’ So they taught me whatever they could, according to what we had to do on the job site.”

Sam now is hoping to enter an apprenticeship program the company offers. He’s enjoying his new career, including the stability he’s found in a steady job.

Construction Ready training, he says, “has made a difference in my life and career, because I no longer have to worry about being laid off or when I’m going to go to work, or when a [plant or warehouse] is going to open back up. I don’t have to worry about if the supervisor is going to like me. I’ve found things to be more fair [that an previous jobs].”

Asked if he has advice for anyone interested in Construction Ready training, he offers this: “Don’t be afraid. Make sure it’s what you want to do, but don’t be afraid to change. Because, you know, change is a part of life. I didn’t know what to expect once I stepped on the construction site. But I felt like it was my second chance. You can’t be afraid to step into a new role.”