Clayco and Rivian Partner on Workforce Training for Georgia EV Plant

Clayco and its nonprofit affiliate, Construction Career Development Initiative, have run a pre-apprenticeship pipeline for residents near the Rivian electric vehicle manufacturing campus being built in Stanton Springs, Georgia. The 4.5-million-square-foot plant is a $5 billion project led by the CJ Adventures joint venture between Clayco and JE Dunn, with groundbreaking in September 2025 and completion expected by 2030.

The first cohort included 24 local residents who completed a fully funded, 20-day course run by Construction Ready, earning up to eight industry credentials. One graduate, a former real estate manager, was hired by Concrete Strategies, a Clayco-owned concrete contractor. Rivian provided $50,000 toward training, scholarships and internships, and Clayco and its subcontractors raised $220,000 more. Clayco also awarded two University of Georgia scholarships to draw future project managers and engineers.

The next cohort is expected to include high school seniors recruited at career fairs, and training will move onto the jobsite as construction ramps up.

For developers and contractors, the practical takeaway is that large industrial projects in the Atlanta area are building local labor pipelines early, which can shape hiring availability and schedules on comparable builds.