A five-week pre-apprenticeship offering proven pathways into the 17 building trade unions, Introduction to the Construction Trades offers the NABTU MC3 curriculum as well as exposure to the wide variety of opportunities within the construction trades. Participants will gain computer skills, math, and technical training essential for success in the field in addition to financial literacy, personal and professional development and health and wellness units. Upon completion, participants are prepared to pursue entry into specialist apprentice programs across multiple trades. For more information call 412-483-3336 ext 2012 and speak to Program Director Deidra Washington.
Chaquita Barnett
Executive Program Director
cbarnett@pghgateways.org
Ron Sapp
Director of Union Relations
rsapp@pghgateways.org
Deidra Washington
Program Director
dwashington@pghgateways.org
Daryl Hayman
Program Assistant
dhayman@pghgateways.org
UPMC
UPMC & Carlow University
Energy Innovation Institute
Energy Innovation Center Institute
Energy Innovation Center Institute
Anthony was a quiet participant in the Introduction to the Construction Trades Pre-apprentice Training Program. He did not say much, rarely smiled and kept his feelings about all he was learning close. He did not give any clues about what type of work appealed to him and what he might like to do.
That all changed the day Anthony visited the Ironworkers (Local 3) JATC. The Ironworkers started by describing the different types of work they do and how the pay and benefits they receive differentiate a job in the building trades. Next, they had a rebar tying competition. Anthony came in first among his cohort every time, and it was not even close. Anthony had found his passion, and he was finally starting to smile. Next, he went outside and climbed the column. He was really hooked.
Within a month after Anthony’s graduation, he had his interview with the Ironworkers. He passed the written exam, having prepared extensively in construction math during his pre-apprentice training, passed the physical exam and impressed the interviewers with his resume and enthusiasm for the craft. He was ready to be part of a team and get to work. His first day on the job will be less than six weeks from his graduation date, and Anthony is just getting started.
Jeffrey L. Johnson is an electrician, having earned the rank of Journeyman/master electrician after a five-year apprenticeship. He is the proud owner of JSJ, LLC, an IBEW (Local 5) signatory, electrical contracting company founded in 2020, that provides residential and commercial electrical installation and maintenance services in Western Pennsylvania. Jeffrey’s pathway to success as a tradesperson and business owner was not a straight one.
After incarceration, Jeffrey decided it was time to turn his life around and pursue a meaningful career. He was willing to work hard but did not know where to begin. Jeffrey heard about Introduction to the Construction Trades. According to Jeffrey, “committing to the pre-apprenticeship training program, was one of the best decisions he ever made.” It was the beginning of a new world for Jeffrey, one where hard work and dedication to a craft opened doors.
Today, in addition to having a family and an electrical business, Jeffrey makes it his business to mentor people who have faced obstacles via his non-profit Shaw-Johnson Foundation. He makes sure that he shares the message that opportunities in the building trades are for everyone.
When Troy arrived at the first day of Introduction to the Construction Trades, he was facing major personal obstacles. He was committed to taking full advantage of the opportunity this program offered him and recognized that if he took it seriously, there would be an opportunity for a life-changing job at the end.
Despite facing personal hurdles during the five-week pre-apprenticeship, Troy worked hard to learn about all the different trades, sharpened his interviewing skills, and focused on preparing personally and professionally for the challenges of work in the building trades.
As Troy finished his first year of Apprenticeship with the local Laborers Union #1058, where he regularly worked overtime on roadbuilding crews, he received unexpected, good news. His hard work, dedication, reliability, and motivation had earned him the 2024 Laborer’s Apprentice of the Year Award. It was the end of a year of firsts for Troy, but just the beginning of his career.
As Troy finishes the second year of his apprenticeship, his life has turned around. He earns a family-sustaining union wage and works steadily on heavy highway projects in the Pittsburgh area. As Troy drives around the city and throughout the region, he has become another one of the many union workers who likes to point at things and tell his family “I helped build that.”