As the workforce development agent serving on behalf of Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Fitzgerald, Partner4Work commends Mr. Peduto’s leadership on the Construction Industry Task Force (“Pittsburgh Task Force Targets Job Training, Wages Amid Local Building Boom,” July 26, post-gazette.com).
Partner4Work’s expertise on the regional labor market supports Mr. Peduto’s prediction: The region’s construction industry is expected to grow more than 10 percent by 2025. With a blend of public and private funds, Partner4Work supports a robust portfolio of initiatives to prepare diverse populations for these sustainable and well-paying jobs. We’re also working to ensure the needs of regional businesses are met.
Between July 2016 and June 2017, and in partnership with nearly 30 construction-related businesses, Partner4Work funded training for 662 construction workers to earn the skills needed to become forklift operators, electricians, sheet metal workers and more. Of those trained, 80 percent have reported increased skills and earnings.
Our partnership with the Energy Innovation Center prepares people for meaningful careers. In the last 18 months, 64 percent of the graduates of the Intro to Construction program found employment as heavy equipment operators, carpenters, electricians and more; the program is set to graduate a class of 26 next week. Similar successes have resulted from the Surface Restoration and Treatment program.
With the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, we connect men and women in work release or home confinement programs with masonry training; we partner with five youth-serving organizations to prepare young adults for future careers in construction; and we help deliver skilled talent to developers of the Almono site in Hazelwood and Civic Arena property in the Lower Hill .
Helping people build solid futures in the building trades is important to the overall health of our region.
STEFANI PASHMAN
CEO
Partner4Work (formerly Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board)
First Published: July 29, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
