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
UPMC
UPMC & Carlow University
Energy Innovation Institute
Energy Innovation Center Institute
Energy Innovation Center Institute
JOHNSTOWN, PA — April 15, 2026 — Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (Pitt-Johnstown), together with regional industry partners, today lau…
We’re proud to celebrate this important milestone for the Center for Metal Arts. Your generous support and commitment to sustainable community development has been instrumental in …
Thank you The Energy Efficiency Alliance! Your generous support and commitment to sustainable community development has been instrumental in making this vision a reality. We are ho…
Come celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Introduction To the Construction Trades Pre-Apprentice Training Program, September 18th starting at 5:30PM at the Energy Innovation Cente…
Award-winning pre-apprenticeship program has connected 350+ participants to high-paying careers in the building trades PITTSBURGH, PA – Pittsburgh Gateways proudly celebrates the 1…
Pittsburgh Gateways has partnered with Penn College’s Clean Energy Center (CEC) to co-develop a workforce development hub, training lab, and community engagement space in Homewood,…
“Being a carpenter has made me stronger, inside and out.” Cydney was on her way to her downtown desk job when she ran into a friend enrolled in the pre-apprenticeship program. Encouraged by her friend and driven by a desire to invest in herself through continual growth and learning, Cydney took the leap and applied for Intro to the Construction Trades. She knew she had a lot to learn, but she was inspired by the union philosophy of welcoming motivated learners like her and teaching them a trade. Cydney chose carpentry because she could picture using those skills to renovate her own house and even becoming a developer someday.
As a second-year Carpenter’s Apprentice with Local #432, Cydney has worked on some of Pittsburgh’s biggest projects including Presbyterian Hospital and the Allegheny County Airport project. Cydney has a message for all of the women she has referred to the pre-apprenticeship: “Don’t ever stop dreaming. Bet on yourself”.
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.”