Pittsburgh Gateways has partnered with Penn College Workforce Development to co-develop a workforce development hub, training lab, and community engagement space in Pittsburgh. 

As an economic development organization, Pittsburgh Gateways is committed to identifying ways to improve economic opportunity for the community where we work.  This partnership compliments our efforts to address the shortage of training for residential construction workers in our region, which is contributing to the housing crisis.  Penn College Workforce Development is one of the nation’s leading providers of building performance workforce training and technical assistance.

The mission of Penn College at Pittsburgh Building Performance Lab (formerly Clean Energy Center) is to teach how to reduce energy consumption in homes and communities, while also improving comfort and safety. These skills are particularly important to updating and maintaining our existing housing stock, keeping more families in their homes, and providing more economic stability for communities.

Located at the 7800 Susquehanna Street complex in Homewood, developed and managed by Bridgeway Capital,  the facility provides in-demand skills and certifications for both residential renovations and new home construction careers.

The partnership between Pittsburgh Gateways and Penn College serves as a:

  • training facility, to deliver the full slate of Penn College Workforce Development building science training programs to current & future workers; the Home Energy Professional (HEP) program teaches individuals how to perform energy audits and product installation techniques to reduce energy bills, while remediating health and safety issues like mold, lead paint and carbon monoxide.
  • recruitment resource, providing outreach to students and adults of all ages considering career paths in the residential building industry.
  • business incubation hub, for contractors and partners seeking to expand their capacity through apprenticeship-style opportunities and business development support.
  • community engagement platform, informing community members of the opportunities to improve the health, safety and efficiency of their homes.

Penn College at Pittsburgh develops skilled workers and quality contractors to serve all residential construction projects in our region, with a particular focus on communities where the need to reduce energy burden and improve the housing stock is in high demand.

To maximize our impact through this partnership, Pittsburgh Gateways seeks to collaborate with a wide audience of organizations in the ecosystem related to this work, such as:

  • Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs
  • Contractors, Vendors, Designers, Auditors
  • Community Groups & Community Based Organizations
  • Affordable Housing providers
  • Building Science, Building Performance, Healthy Homes professionals
  • Small Business Development services
  • Emerging Technologies in Housing Innovation

As co-developer, Pittsburgh Gateways has onsite presence to welcome all visitors, trainees, community members and partners. For more information, or to get involved, contact our Director of Building Performance Programs, Karen Benner, here.

Read the August 1, 2024 press release from Penn College here and the November 4, 2025 rebranding announcement here.

Visit the Penn College Workforce Development Building Performance website here.