Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship Kick-Off Event Celebrates a Pennsylvania First
PITTSBURGH November 12, 2021 – Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) has the first registered Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship program for high school students in Pennsylvania. To celebrate, Executive Director of the PPS Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division Angela Mike is hosting a kick-off event at the Carpenters Union Training Center (652 Ridge Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205) on November 17, during National Apprenticeship Week.
Special guest Tara Loew, Director of the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Office for the Department of Labor and Industry, will deliver opening remarks. Sylvia Wilson, President of the PPS Board of Directors, and Cindy Falls, PPS Board Member and CTE Liaison, will also address the gathering of students, parents, teachers, building trades professionals, elected officials, and community stakeholders.
The kick-off event will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and includes a tour of the training facilities, a presentation of certificates to the students, and lunch.
The Pipeline Into The Trades (P.I.T.T.) Pre-Apprenticeship Program is sponsored by CTE and the Keystone Mountain Lakes (KML) Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Fund. It is designed to augment CTE's three-year Carpentry program of study with components that will help eliminate barriers that have hindered application and acceptance into Carpenters’ Apprenticeship and Training program. The program also has elements to promote the building trades to female students and students of color, to help address the lack of diversity in this field.
The pre-apprenticeship program will benefit the carpentry students enrolled at Pittsburgh Carrick and Pittsburgh Westinghouse High Schools.
Per Angela Mike, “We are so grateful for the support of the Carpenters Union and all of the stakeholders involved in bringing this program to life. Pre-Apprenticeship programs are the wave of the future. We plan to offer similar opportunities for all CTE students.”
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