The City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Public Schools have launched a workforce development program to help steer kids into careers in government, robotics or trade skills. Students will be able to access internships and entry-level job opportunities with about 40 private industry groups and in city government, officials said Friday.
“We as leaders have an obligation and a responsibility to you,” Mayor Ed Gainey told a crowd of PPS students at a press conference Friday. “Whatever level of higher learning you want to get into, we need to provide a pathway for you to get there.”
The city has previously donated resources to PPS for the same mission: A retired city firetruck was donated to boost a public-safety training program at Westinghouse High School in 2015. But officials said that Friday’s announcement would formalize that relationship. Leaders from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Argo AI, the Steamfitters and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters came together at the City-County Building to speak with students.
City schools superintendent Wayne Walters said a critical piece of the district’s Career and Technical Education program is that it goes beyond classroom training. It “not only prepares students for 21st century careers, but creates meaningful partnerships that eliminate barriers to employment,” he said.
Students will be able to establish professional relationships with job-shadowing opportunities and internships that could lead to entry-level jobs.
Partner4Work, a non-profit that connects job seekers with employment, will also participate in the program, offering city and county-wide resources to students. Rob Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work, said people aged 16-24 are those most likely to face employment barriers. But he noted the statistics shouldn’t discourage students.
“We believe in you. There are so many opportunities and careers out here if you’re willing to take advantage of them,” Cherry said.
The program will also include private companies like autonomous vehicle developer Argo AI. CEO Bryan Salesky has invited students to tour the company’s Strip District headquarters. According to him, businesses like Argo AI want Pittsburgh Public Schools students as employees.
“You do not need a college degree in order to be successful. … If you want to go to college, that’s a great pathway, but there are so many others that are out there,” Salesky said. “We need people that know how to work with their hands and their minds.”
Students can also get a jump start on training for fields like public safety, social work and other public sector jobs.
Shaila Fitzgerald, a Westinghouse High School senior, has been studying in the emergency medical services program since the 9th grade.
“We’re actually doing CPR work. We’re doing these real life experiences. We’re seeing what it will be like in the real world,” she said.
Without the program, Fitzgerald said she may have considered a career in cosmetology. But her classes have directed her passion toward saving lives as an EMS worker. She said Westinghouse has given her a firsthand look at what the job is like.
Many speakers alluded to obstacles Pittsburgh Public Schools students face when it comes to making plans for life after graduation. Gainey and Walters pointed to the workforce development curriculum as a way to keep kids on track toward sustainable career options.
That resonated with Fitzgerald.
“You start to feel like, ‘Well can I really do this? It’s getting harder and you get second thoughts,'” she said. Hearing from city leaders Friday was the encouragement she needed.
“They were in our seats before. So they want to see us do better. They want to see us grow,” she said. “And I really like that.”
After the press conference, dozens of students spent time speaking with business and city leaders about opportunities in the program. Walters said the students present Friday are taking advantage of all of the resources available.
“All of you here today will be work-ready at graduation,” he said, "as you transition to either post-secondary education or a well-paying job like the ones now available to you in the City of Pittsburgh.”
