August 21, 2026

Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh Water is opening its active construction sites to local pre-apprentices through a new workforce development initiative designed to connect participants with careers in the skilled trades, construction, and water utility industry.

The Pittsburgh Water Pre-Apprenticeship Bridge to Careers (ABC) Program combines classroom learning with firsthand experience alongside Pittsburgh Waters employees, contractors, and skilled tradespeople. Working together with Partner4Work, Pittsburgh Water will help participants explore career pathways while seeing how major infrastructure projects are built and maintained.

“We want our residents to have access to good, family-sustaining jobs right here in Pittsburgh," said Mayor Corey O’Connor. “I’m proud to see Pittsburgh Water, Partner4Work, the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh and our regional partners opening doors to the skilled trades and giving residents the training, experience and support they need to get started and build a future here.”

Funding for the program was secured through Partners for Places, a matching grant program of The Funders Network that helps community partnerships ensure public infrastructure investments create broader economic benefits, including workforce development, training, equitable contracting, and career pathways for local workers. Through this support, Pittsburgh Water, Partner4Work, and local partners are connecting infrastructure investments to meaningful career exposure and employment opportunities for people in the region.

The first cohort of approximately 15 participants from the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh will begin the three-day program on August 25. Additional cohorts are planned with Auberle YouthBuild and Pittsburgh Gateways’ Intro to the Trades program, reaching participants at different stages of their career journeys.

“Pittsburgh Water is making historic investments in our infrastructure, and we want those investments to create opportunities for people in our community,” said Will Pickering, Chief Executive Officer of Pittsburgh Water. “This program gives participants the chance to experience these careers firsthand, meet the people doing this work and begin building professional connections of their own. We want them to leave with a clearer understanding of the opportunities available and how to pursue them.”

Through 10 hours of programming provided by the Pittsburgh Water team, participants will receive safety training, tour active construction areas, and explore careers in general construction, electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, construction management and inspection.  This hands-on opportunity is an exciting addition to participants’ broader workforce development programming, complementing the training and career-readiness sessions they receive through their respective programs.

A key goal of the program is to help participants build professional networks. By interacting directly with Pittsburgh Water employees, contractors and tradespeople, participants can learn how others entered the industry, ask questions and make connections that can help as they pursue employment, apprenticeships and other opportunities.

“Creating pathways into the skilled trades requires connecting people not only with training, but with employers, projects and professionals who can help them see what comes next,” said Rob Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work. “Through this partnership with Pittsburgh Water and our local training providers, participants are gaining firsthand exposure to careers that can provide meaningful, family-sustaining opportunities right here in our region.” 

Participants who complete the program will receive a Pittsburgh Water Certificate of Acknowledgement.

The initiative comes as Pittsburgh Water continues significant investments in the region’s water infrastructure, creating an opportunity to connect local talent with the skilled workforce needed to build and maintain those systems.

“Building Pittsburgh’s infrastructure also means investing in the people who build and care for it,” Pittsburgh Water Chief People & Culture Officer Logan Carmichael said. “We want people in our region to know these careers are within reach.”

Pittsburgh Water expects three cohorts, totaling approximately 30 to 40 participants, to complete the program this year.