Students in the foreground assemble walls as part of the carpentry contest in Thursday's Skills Challenge, sponsored by local and state contractors. In the background, Moultrie firefighters watch; they were on scene to provide first aid if needed.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt County hosted the South and Southwest Georgia Skills Challenge Thursday at Spence Field, but the home team didn’t do especially well.

The challenge is one of four held around the state, according to Bill Chambless of AGC Georgia, a statewide trade organization for construction companies. AGC Georgia sponsored its first Skills Challenge in Augusta four years ago. One in Griffin started last year, and this is the first year for events in Gainesville and Moultrie.

In the challenge, high schools pit their Career, Technical and Agricultural Education students against each other in electrical wiring, carpentry, plumbing, masonry and welding — skills needed by the construction industry that’s sponsoring the events.

Lyndy Jones Jr., president of JCI Contractors in Moultrie, a major sponsor of Thursday’s competition, said his industry is in dire need of a skilled workforce.

“If you’ve got a good work ethic and want to do it, the sky’s the limit,” Jones said.

Turnout for Thursday’s competition was incredible for a first-time event — 19 schools sent about 150 competitors. Sponsors said that’s the most of any of the Skills Challenges. Jones said the other challenges are limited by space, but with the buildings of the Sunbelt Expo available here, he said there’s room for even more growth as it turns into an annual event.

The Regional Cup was won by Tift County High School and Crisp County won three of the five first-place awards, according to Ashby Autry, marketing coordinator for JCI Contractors. Two Colquitt Countians won awards.

Individual awards included:

Plumbing: 1st place, Trey Allison, Crisp County High School; 2nd, Trevor Baldree, Colquitt County High School; 3rd, Adam Lopez, Lee County High School.

Masonry: 1st, Bailey Evanson, Camden County High School; 2nd, G’Lovonni Flournoy, Peach County High School; 3rd, Jamicah Whitehead, Tift County High School.

Electrical: 1st, Zach Musselwhite, Crisp County High School; 2nd, Jordan Gilliard, Crisp County High School; 3rd, Kirk Beacham, Colquitt County High School.

Carpentry: 1st, Conner Butterworth, Crisp County High School; 2nd, Chandler Pitts, Tift County High School; 3rd, Mark McKinsey, Crisp County High School.

Welding: 1st, Logan Brown, Lee County High School; 2nd, Chase Carter, Ware County High School; 3rd, Will Gross, Camden County High School; 4th, Scott Cadwalader, Camden County High School; 5th, Taylor Wade, Fitzgerald High School; 6th, Hunter Aldridge, Americus-Sumter High School; 7th, Ian Green, Camden County High School; 8th, Alex Castro, Wiregrass College and Career Academy; 9th, Bradley Roundtree, Crisp County High School; 10th, Declan Jones, Camden County High School.