Harmony, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Executive Deputy Secretary Bill Trusky today visited one of Pennsylvania’s most innovative hubs for building trades apprentices who are earning a paycheck while they learn the necessary skills to be successful in the heating, piping and air conditioning industry. With support from Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration and L&I’s Apprenticeship and Training Office, Steamfitters Local Union No. 449 and the Allegheny County Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) of the Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning is currently preparing and training dozens of Pennsylvania workers in its state-of-the-art facility for jobs with union benefits and a middle-class lifestyle.
The bipartisan 2024-25 budget includes a $30 million increase for vo-tech and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming and equipment and a $2 million increase in funding for nursing apprenticeships. Since taking office in January 2023, Governor Shapiro has been focused on creating real opportunity for hardworking Pennsylvania workers to obtain good-paying jobs with an emphasis on skills-based hiring. These investments in career and technical training and vo-tech education, registered apprenticeship programs, and on-the-job training build on the critical investments made last year. Taken together, Governor Shapiro and a bipartisan group of legislators have increased funding for workforce development by $61 million in the Governor’s first year and a half in office – a more than 50 percent increase.
"Today’s visit underscores the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to empowering Pennsylvanians through robust investment in career and technical education and registered apprenticeships. With the significant increase in funding and support for programs like Steamfitters Local Union No. 449, we are paving the way for a stronger, more skilled workforce,” said Trusky. “Our continued investment in these vital training programs ensures that hardworking individuals across the state have the opportunity to build successful careers and achieve economic stability without the burden of debt. By investing in our workforce, we are investing in Pennsylvania's future."
Since Governor Shapiro took office, the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has supported the creation of more than 50 new registered apprenticeship programs in Pennsylvania with 15,665 registered apprentices currently active. The Shapiro Administration is working hard to promote these opportunities to historically underserved populations because apprenticeship is a career pathway to family-sustaining wages without the crippling burden of debt.
The 2024-25 bipartisan budget makes investments to open doors of economic opportunity and give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course – investing in all paths to success, from vo-tech and apprenticeship programs to college and continuing education.
- After Governor Shapiro last year signed into law Act 33 establishing the $10 million Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program, which provides up to $15,000 to eligible student teachers in Pennsylvania — this budget secures an additional $10 million for student teacher stipends, doubling last year’s investment.
- This budget includes $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students allowing them to take advanced courses for college credit and chart their own course.
- This budget provides $2 million in first-time state funding for nursing apprenticeships.
Last year, the Shapiro Administration awarded $90,000 in grant funding to Steamfitters 449 to enhance the Allegheny County JATC of the Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning registered apprenticeship programs, promote systemic change, and implement a new diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy targeting workers in the plumbing and pipefitting industries.
"The Steamfitters are proud members of the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades, and nobody trains people better than the Building Trades. Not only do we offer decent wages, but we also provide health coverage and retirement plans," said Ken Broadbent, Steamfitters 449 Business Manager. "We excel at training individuals in the skills needed to achieve and sustain a middle-class way of life. Our apprentices and pre-apprentices can embark on a career that provides lasting skills and a stable income. Join the Building Trades, where you’ll learn a career that supports a middle-class lifestyle while continuing our mission to bring people of all backgrounds into the building and construction trades through our earn-and-learn apprenticeship model."
Established in 1913, Steamfitters Local Union No. 449 offers distinct earn-and-learn career pathways for individuals who participate in its registered apprenticeship programs. The building trades pathway prepares apprentices for installation of commercial and industrial process piping systems, while the HVAC-R Services pathway prepares apprentices for residential, commercial and industrial mechanical equipment services. Both registered apprenticeship programs include union membership with UA Local 449.
In addition to expanding its registered apprenticeship programs, Steamfitters 449 used grant funding to hire a diversity recruiter at its facility to conduct outreach at local high schools and career and technical schools in the Butler County region. The union also offers after-school classes for high school students from four local schools to familiarize young people with careers in plumbing and pipefitting, with a focus on air conditioning maintenance and services. The facility also offers free welding classes for non-union members. Steamfitters 449 has also been awarded $4.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant funding to help build the Butler County facility to better support its members.
Steamfitters Local Union No. 449 represents nearly 3,000 union-trained steamfitters and is affiliated with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada.
For more information about registered apprenticeships, visit here.
Read this for more information about L&I’s Apprenticeship & Training Office.
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