PIT2Work Courses Delivering Results: Jobs

The PIT2Work training program at Pittsburgh International Airport has earned national recognition and awards, but the ultimate measure of its success can be summed up in one word.

Jobs.

More than 91 percent of PIT2Work graduates from the first two classes are employed in the trades. In the most recent class, some participants were set to start working at new jobs right after the March 26 graduation ceremony. Many others had already signed on with local unions.

Carrie Francis was one of 14 graduates in the program’s third class. Francis learned about the program last November when she attended a local union trade convention.

That day changed her life, she said. Before starting PIT2Work, Francis said she felt stuck in a dead-end job that made her feel “unfulfilled and underappreciated.” Five weeks later, that’s all changed.

“This program isn’t just meant to bring you to a career,” Francis said. “This program is meant to make you the person you’re going to need to be for a better future.”

Francis isn’t alone in her assessment. Fellow student Troy Buefort said PIT2Work is meant for anyone who wants to change their life for the better, and Kaheem Tucker said the program gave him hope for his future.

Learning on site

PIT2Work is a five-week program hosted at PIT in partnership with Pittsburgh Gateways and Partner4Work. It gives participants the hands-on training they need to succeed in careers in the trades.

The program was kickstarted last year by