Tri-County Workforce Investment Board gets $1M grant for Steamfitters training
The Tri-County Workforce Investment Board has been awarded a $1.12 million grant to implement the Steamfitters Local 449’s advanced and basic training program in Butler and 15 other coal-impacted counties in Western Pennsylvania.
The board will subcontract with the Steamfitters union to identify current and future workforce needs of skilled workers and contractors in those counties by collaborating with contractors and stakeholders.
Next, it will provide customized training to meet diverse workforce needs, while making sure the training aligns with current and expected labor market demands. There will be two types of training: advanced skill training for specific needs identified by contractors and employability training for soft skills and customer service.
Training sessions will be held at Steamfitters Local 449 Training Center in Jackson Township and will be free to the workers and trainees. Over three years, the program is expected to serve 1,000 people and improve the employability of 950 people.
There is a growing demand for heating, ventilation and air conditioning service technicians locally and across the country, said Ken Broadbent, business manager for Steamfitters Local 449.
“We need people who can do HVAC service work., Broadbent said. ”In the next five to 10 years there’s going to be a critical shortage of HVAC service technicians.“
He said office buildings and stores rely on heating and air conditioning, and grocery stores rely on refrigerators and freezers for merchandise, and service technicians are need to fix those units when they break down. He said technicians use laptop computers to diagnose problems.
“All of our training is free,” Broadbent said.
The union hosts job fairs and visits high schools and vocational-technical schools to encourage students to pursue careers through the union, Broadbent said. The union also reaches out to military veterans who worked in electronics or in mechanical fields in the service, he added.
“We are honored to receive the award and look forward to working with the Steamfitters Local 449 Union to implement this grant and train 1,000 workers,” said Mary Salony, executive director of the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board.
The other counties involved in the training program are Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Greene, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland.
“In our ever-changing economy, job training has never been more important. These grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help workers across Southwestern Pennsylvania learn new skills and support local entrepreneurs,” said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who announced the grant Thursday.
The grant is part of a recently announced $21 million package supporting 21 projects serving 211 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative. POWER targets federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related supply chain industries. Additional support for the project is provided by Steamfitters Local 449.
