‘Building Back America’s Trades:’ New docuseries praises two veterans and their skills

As America faces a housing and skilled labor crisis, students and mentors work to build better hands-on futures for themselves and their communities in a new documentary series called “Building Back America’s Trades”—and two of those skilled professionals are military veterans.

The series features Gordon Unrein, a Marine Corps veteran and longtime trades instructor at Columbus Technical College, alongside William Franks, a retired Air Force veteran and graduate of the program Gordon leads.

Together, their story highlights the full circle of mentorship in the trades, from classroom instruction to launching a skilled trades career, and how veterans are translating military service into new opportunities in the civilian workforce.

Presented by the Lowe’s Foundation in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Blue Chalk, this three-part series follows 13 individuals pursuing careers in the skilled trades, offering a character-driven look at the determination and skill behind essential work. The series tracks their journeys alongside mentors at Columbus Technical College, Coconino Community College in Arizona and She Built This City in North Carolina—programs strengthened by Lowe’s Foundation support.

Skilled trades professionals power our homes, infrastructure, and communities — yet their contributions too often go underrecognized. With the construction industry in need of 349,000 new skilled workers in 2026 alone, these careers offer an accessible path to stable, high-opportunity work, with the power, potential and promise to strengthen communities.

Without the skills of professionals like Unrein and Franks—and the 349,000 new workers this year alone—the cost of labor will increase, impacting prospective industry growth, spending projections, and economic health.

“Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) 2026 workforce shortage analysis shows a series of macrodynamics at play in the industry,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO. “These include an aging and retiring workforce, immigration enforcement, high materials prices, tariffs, office vacancies and rapidly evolving technologies and innovation. Despite these variables, the analysis shows the construction industry still faces an urgent need for talent to build and rebuild America’s infrastructure.”

That’s why “Building Back America’s Trades” is such a fascinating show. It provides access into what it’s like to build the homes we live in and the communities we share. For military veterans transitioning from active duty, it’s a look into a career field and its many creative and physical opportunities.

Gordon Unrein is the Program Director of Carpentry, Cabinetmaking, and Masonry at Columbus Technical College (CTC). He brings a lifetime of varied military and professional experience into the classroom.

Here are the official synopses for the three-part series:

In Episode 1: “The Skilled Trades Crisis,” veterans, women, and working professionals stand shoulder to shoulder in taking up the struggle to solve the skilled trades crisis in America.

In Episode 2: “Dreams and Determination,” deadlines loom and students and mentors race to build homes and secure jobs, overcoming doubt, inequality, and the belief it takes to finish strong.

In Episode 3: “Building the Future,” cutting-edge technology combined with old-fashioned knowledge opens up worlds of possibility in the skilled trades facing real-world stakes.

William Franks is a retired Air Force veteran and graduate of the cabinetmaking program at Columbus Technical College. William was the 2023 SkillsUSA gold medal winner in cabinetmaking for the state of Georgia.

He is currently the co-founder of Wood Haven Workshop in Columbus, GA, where he lives with his wife, Nikki.

All three episodes are now available to stream on HBO Max and Discovery+.

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By Daniel Tobias Flint