Summer work program gives Pittsburgh teens, young adults a head start on possible careers
Pittsburgh-area leaders are trying to keep teens and young adults busy during the summer months with real-world job experience, preparing them for future careers.
On Tuesday morning, Leon Wade showed off some of the skills he gained last summer at New Century Careers, a nonprofit that prepares folks with the training for careers in machining and manufacturing, located on Pittsburgh's South Side.
He was able to do this as a part of the Learn and Earn program, a partnership between the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Partner4Work, a workforce development organization.
"They've helped me build up more than enough special credentials and practical skills to get into a good machine shop just a little shy over a year after I graduated high school," Wade said.
The initiative, which launched in 2014, provides paid work experience for teens and young adults ages 14 to 23, to help them build skills, gain confidence, and dip their toes in potential future careers. Since then, it's supported more than 14,000 teens and young people in the area and invested more than $15 million in wages.
CEO of Partner4Work, Rob Cherry, said it's paid off.
"Young people who start early are more likely to stay engaged, set goals, and see a real path forward," Cherry said.
Eventually, the hope is they'll give back to the region, strengthening the economy with talent prepared for entering the workforce.
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor added that participants may even get into industries they didn't think about getting into before.
"This program is so important and so vital to the future of Pittsburgh, to how we're going to grow, to provide opportunity to create generational wealth in families that have never been done before," O'Connor said.
The six-week program is made up of three tiers depending on age and experience, and touches a variety of fields, from health care to manufacturing, carpentry, and emerging tech, with at least 150 businesses taking part.
For Wade, it gave him the credentials and competency to find employment, now looking forward to getting his journeyman's papers, certifying him as a tradesperson sometime soon.
"They turned my resume that I had working in fast food, into a nice, presentable, and official machinist resume," Wade said.
The deadline to apply for the program is June 5, but participants are being accepted on a rolling basis. You can find details on the application here. Organizations interested in becoming a worksite can contact Stephanie Bales at this email address.
