A new career college designed to train underserved populations for immediate job placement is opening in West Midtown Atlanta, offering trade programs specifically tailored to individuals facing employment barriers while aligning with the city’s workforce development initiatives.
The Workforce Career Center will open on August 2, 2025, and is located at 1073 Huff Rd NW, Suite C, Atlanta, GA. 30318.
Marion Skinner founded Workforce Career Center, which specializes in programs in construction, medical, artificial intelligence, and culinary trades. The institution serves students who may not pursue traditional education paths and those from underserved communities who need direct pathways to employment.
“We focus on serving students who may not typically pursue traditional schooling,” said Skinner, founder and CEO of Workforce Career Centers. Skinner’s been in education since 2018, building trade, vocational, and career schools across multiple states.
The West Midtown location was strategically chosen for its central accessibility and public transportation access, making it easier for students to attend classes. The school operates additional locations in Texas, Florida, and Maryland, creating a multi-state network of career training facilities.
The center targets two primary demographics: individuals aged 18-24 who are single parents, unemployed, underemployed, formerly incarcerated or receiving government assistance, and those 25 and older facing similar challenges, including unemployment, underemployment, SNAP or TANF benefits recipients, dislocated workers or homemakers re-entering the workforce.
Program offerings span multiple high-demand industries. Medical field training includes certified nursing assistants, phlebotomy, and patient care technicians. Transportation programs feature commercial driver’s license training with dispatching and logistics components. Technology and telecommunications training encompasses fiber optics installation and data technician certification through a partnership with Data Bank.
Creative industries are represented through radio, television, and film programs, along with graphic design, set design, and fashion design tracks. The school also offers insurance adjusting certification and construction trades including, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing programs.
The facility’s design immerses students in environments that mirror their future workplaces, providing hands-on experience that prepares them for immediate employment upon graduation.
Skinner brings extensive entrepreneurial experience to the educational venture. A serial entrepreneur with a background in the music industry and marketing, including work with Nouvo liquor and the tequila brand Espatada, Skinner also built a trucking company serving major accounts like FedEx and Amazon, and helped HelloFresh expand operations in Texas.
The inspiration for Workforce Career Center emerged when Skinner learned that state funding was available for CDL training, sparking the idea to train drivers directly rather than relying on traditional educational pathways.
Skinner was first approached by Georgia workforce officials in September 2024 to replicate the successful model he had built in Texas. “They wanted me to do exactly what I did with the school in Texas here in Georgia,” he said. After accepting the invitation, Skinner took possession of the Atlanta facility on May 1, 2025, and quickly moved to ready the campus for an August opening.
The establishment aligns closely with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ focus on youth development and workforce training. The school aims to upskill individuals aged 16-24 and equip them with marketable trades for direct workforce entry, addressing both individual economic mobility and broader city economic development goals.
“We hope students will gain the ability to provide a better life for themselves and their families through education and improved job opportunities,” Skinner said.
The center’s primary mission centers on training students and immediately placing them in jobs upon program completion, emphasizing rapid workforce entry over extended academic programs. This approach addresses the immediate needs of underserved populations while meeting employer demand for skilled workers across multiple industries.