What Is THE WORKS? Franklin, TN's First Skilled Trades Competition for Students
If you've been hearing buzz about THE WORKS 2026, here's the rundown. THE WORKS is a hands-on skilled trades competition coming to Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin, Tennessee on April 21-23, 2026. It's the first event of its kind in our area, and it's designed to showcase real trade skills in a real jobsite setting.
Teams of high school CTE students and community members will compete across three trades: carpentry, electrical, and plumbing. But this isn't your typical academic competition. Judging is split 50/50 between trade skill and professionalism. That means safety, teamwork, readiness, and attitude count just as much as the quality of the work.
THE WORKS is hosted by TradeWorks Collective, a Franklin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on building career pathways in the skilled trades. The three-day event includes Competition Day on April 21, an Awards Ceremony and Industry Expo on April 22, and a County Wide Youth Job Fair on April 23.
Whether you're a student exploring trade careers, an educator looking for CTE opportunities, or a local business interested in sponsoring or recruiting, THE WORKS is built for you.
School Division teams consist of 10 students from a single school: 4 in carpentry, 3 in electrical, and 3 in plumbing. Open Division teams can be 5-10 participants from mixed backgrounds, with an adult project manager required.
THE WORKS uses W.O.R.K.S. scoring criteria: Workmanship, Ownership, Readiness, Know-How, and Safety. Every participant gets real experience working under jobsite conditions with PPE requirements, stop-work authority, and no cell phones allowed in the construction area.
Registration details and team information are available at TradeWorksCollective.com. If you're in Williamson County or anywhere in Middle Tennessee, this is one to watch.
