Pittsburgh Gateways’ Introduction to the Construction Trades August 2026 graduates
The Spotlight Series highlights Apprenticeship Readiness Programs across the TradesFutures network.
The Pittsburgh Gateways’ Introduction to the Construction Trades Program is helping people across the Pittsburgh, PA region build pathways to family-sustaining careers in the union building trades through a holistic approach to apprenticeship readiness and workforce development.
Launched in 2015 in collaboration with local unions, the five-week program was created in response to two connected needs: a declining construction workforce and community members seeking access to stable careers. Executive Program Director Chaquita Barnett oversees program operations, while Program Director Deidra Washington leads a curriculum that pairs technical preparation with personal and professional development.
The program serves unemployed, underemployed, and justice-impacted participants, while continuing to expand outreach to women. Since its launch, Pittsburgh Gateways has connected more than 350 participants with opportunities in the building trades.
Preparing the Person First
The Pittsburgh Gateways approach begins with the simple belief that participants are better prepared for career success when a program supports their goals across multiple dimensions of their lives. During the intensive five-week program, participants complete the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) offered by TradesFutures while also building the academic, physical, and emotional foundation needed to succeed in construction.
Training includes math and preparation for union entrance exams, exposure to construction careers, site visits, health and wellness instruction, and personal and professional development. Participants learn how to manage stress, care for their bodies, strengthen self-esteem, and develop the confidence to pursue opportunities they may not have previously imagined for themselves.
“Change your mind and your life will follow,” says Washington, describing the guiding idea behind her personal growth curriculum. “When we help our participants see that they belong in these industries, they can begin to envision themselves there.”
Pittsburgh Gateways’ Introduction to the Construction Trades students
Building Trust with the Union Trades
Strong union relationships have been part of the Pittsburgh Gateways’ formula since the beginning. The program’s Union Relations Director, Ron Sapp, a retired member of Operating Engineers Local 66, helped launch the program and brought longstanding relationships across the regional building trades. Other members of the team include retired tradespeople whose combined industry experience helps participants understand the standards, culture, and expectations of union construction.
Representatives from different crafts visit the classroom to speak directly with participants, explain apprenticeship pathways, and help them prepare for interviews. Each cohort also visits several training centers or job sites, giving participants firsthand exposure to careers beyond the few trades they may already know.
Not only do participants enter interviews with greater familiarity and confidence, but union partners also know graduates have received consistent preparation. “Our relationship is built on trust, consistency, and results,” Washington explains. “They know what type of candidate they will get.”
Removing Barriers Through Support
Pittsburgh Gateways uses its intake and interview process to understand each participant’s circumstances and identify challenges early. The program connects participants with community resources related to transportation, housing, food security, childcare, and other needs.
Questions about a driver’s license or reliable transportation help staff determine what resources a participant may need to complete training and move into employment. Participants also receive a $15-per-hour stipend during training. For adults who cannot go five weeks without income, that support can cover essentials while allowing them to focus on building a career.
This approach reflects the program’s commitment to meeting people where they are. Staff work to understand the individual reason behind a barrier and help participants build the confidence and support needed to address it.
Success Story: From Participant to Business Owner
Pittsburgh Gateways’ Introduction to the Construction Trades graduate Jeffrey Johnson
One justice-impacted participant, Jeffrey Johnson, began the program unsure that a career in the trades would work for him. As he progressed through the program, his confidence grew. He went on to become an electrician with IBEW Local 5 and later launched his own company, JSJ Contracting, LLC. Today, he remains connected to the program and reaches back to encourage others who may be starting with the same doubts.
His journey is one of several examples of alumni building lives beyond their first placement. Another former participant, Micheal Glenn, a member of the Insulators Union, became a real estate developer, while others have returned with milestones such as buying a first car or home, advancing in their careers, or pursuing entrepreneurship.
Measuring Success Beyond Placement
Pittsburgh Gateways tracks applications, enrollment, attendance, program completion, certifications, apprenticeship placements, employment, retention, advancement, wages, and career progression. The program also tracks supportive-service needs, including transportation barriers, housing instability, food insecurity, and childcare.
The organization’s definition of success extends beyond employment data. Washington is developing ways to capture the longer-term changes alumni share with the program, including purchasing a home, starting a business, continuing their education, and reaching personal goals that once felt out of reach.
“The job is the means to what they really want; a stable and peaceful life,” Washington says. “My purpose isn’t just to help someone get a job. I want to see their whole career blossom.”
Expanding Opportunity and Alumni Growth
Support from the TradesFutures network has helped Pittsburgh Gateways expand access to the program, serve more participants, strengthen its curriculum, and bridge funding gaps.
Pittsburgh Gateways was an inaugural awardee of the Scaling Apprenticeship Readiness Across the Building Trades Initiative Department of Labor cooperative agreement in 2023. Through this funding opportunity, they have expanded their efforts to connect program participants to registered apprenticeships by funding supportive services and providing extended support to participants post-graduation.
Looking ahead, program leaders aim to continue increasing enrollment while cultivating more opportunities for alumni to not only advance but thrive. Washington envisions alumni workshops several times a year focused on continuing education, homeownership, business development, and the possibility of becoming signatory contractors. The goal is to support participants from enrollment through graduation; aiding graduates to soar to the next level.
For Pittsburgh Gateways, the most meaningful measure of the work is visible transformation. Through deep union partnerships, whole-person preparation, supportive services, and sustained alumni engagement, Pittsburgh Gateways’ Introduction to the Construction Trades Program is helping participants move beyond the circumstances that once defined them and build lives grounded in possibility.