PIT2Work Gets New Class of Student Apprentices

Lisa Gilmore is a self-described jack-of-all-trades. She’s a seamstress, esthetician, hair stylist and, now, a student apprentice.

Over the next five weeks, Gilmore will work alongside 14 other students enrolled in PIT2Work, a pre-apprenticeship training program that gives participants access to the skills and certifications they will need to succeed in construction industry jobs.

Much of the program takes place at Pittsburgh International Airport, home to the Terminal Modernization Program, one of the biggest construction sites in the region. Scheduled to open in 2025, the new terminal is just one of the ways the airport is expanding its workforce.

“It’s inspiring because the airport is an important part of the city,” Gilmore said. “It’s growing and the construction trades are helping that growth more and more.”

Throughout the program, students will gain hands-on construction experience and connect to local unions through an on-site career fair. Upon graduation, they will receive personalized letters of recommendation and connections to local unions.

In September, PIT opened a new on-site childcare center for employees, and the airport advocated for rescheduled bus routes, helping to extend job opportunities to Pittsburghers who need public transportation.

“We created PIT2Work because we believe in equal access to opportunity,” said Christina Ca