Pittsburgh Water Partnership Brings Pre-Apprentices onto Active Construction Sites

Partner4Work and Pittsburgh Water recently wrapped up the final cohort of the Pittsburgh Water Pre-Apprenticeship Bridge to Careers Program, an initiative designed to give local pre-apprentices firsthand exposure to careers in construction, the skilled trades, and the water utility industry.

The Bridge to Careers experience built upon the pre-apprenticeship training already being provided by Pittsburgh Gateways, Auberle YouthBuild, and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh. Across three cohorts, participants had the opportunity to step beyond the classroom and onto active Pittsburgh Water construction sites, where they could see infrastructure work happening in real time and connect directly with the professionals doing the work.

The partnership also gave participants an opportunity to build professional connections with Pittsburgh Water employees, contractors, and skilled tradespeople, ask questions about how they entered the industry, and learn more about pathways into employment and apprenticeship opportunities.

Partner4Work is grateful to Pittsburgh Water for opening its projects and workplaces to participants and to Pittsburgh Gateways, Auberle YouthBuild, and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh for preparing participants and creating pathways into the skilled trades. Together, these partnerships demonstrate how training providers, employers, and the workforce system can work together to help residents move from career preparation to real-world exposure and, ultimately, employment.

Click here to watch the video and hear directly from participants and partners and see the Bridge to Careers experience in action.