Matzie: $90,000 secured to bring greater diversity, inclusion in building trades
Will fund expansion of Steamfitters Local 449 apprenticeship program
Rep. Robert Matzie August 16, 2023 | 10:40 AM
AMBRIDGE, Aug. 16 – New funding of $90,000 from the state Department of Labor and Industry will broaden the career path for Beaver County women and workers of color hoping to enter the building and construction trades, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.
Matzie said the funding to Steamfitters Local 449 will allow the organization to expand its registered apprenticeship program in the building and construction trades by hiring 25 new apprenticeships, with a focus on bringing greater diversity and inclusion to these fields.
“The building and construction trades offer good-paying, family sustaining jobs, but for too long, women, people of color, workers with disabilities and others have lacked access to the apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that provide the best entry into these careers,” Matzie said. “The new funding is going to help change that by providing new opportunities for these underrepresented workers.”
Steamfitters Local 449 serves workers in Beaver County and 14 other counties, including Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Greene, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren and Washington counties.
Apprenticeships in L&I’s Increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Building and Construction Trades through Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships initiative are 100% federally funded with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act statewide activity funds.
More information about the funding is available here: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Labor-and-Industry-Details.aspx?newsid=790.