Northwest PA Workforce Development Network

In 2004, the Great Lakes Buildingand Construction Trades Council President, also a Northwest PA WIB member,

approached the Regional Center for Workforce Excellence staff and requested a meeting to brainstorm ways to get

additional workforce development assistance for the industry. The WIB secured $50,000 in State Training Activities

funds to assist the Council and various contractors to upgrade the skills of 48 individuals.From that point on, the

Council continued to meet on a monthly bas is with contracting agencies and various partners.

The partnership has completed a research study of local architects, end-users and general contractors regarding their

purchasing and decision-making process when selecting workers for construction projects. The study includes measuring

perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of union labor in the local/regional construction industry, sub-contractor selection

criteria, past experience and satisfaction with union labor, assessment of the requirements for union labor to procure

additional work in their projects and other areas identified by industry partners.

Incumbent worker training completed by the Industry Partnership provided skill upgrades and certifications to workers

in new technologies, allowing partners to provide a local workforce to companies and projects requiring such skill sets.

For example, the Presque Isle Downs project used GPS plotting technology for site layout and the JS Wilson Middle School

project required training in green technology for completion. The partnership also participated in several community based

projects, including building a complete house for Habitat for Humanity, constructing a ramp for persons with disabilities and

remodeled bathrooms for the TREC Program and conducting a blood drive for the Erie Community Blood Bank.

At the end of 2007, the partnership expanded to include a subcommittee focused on the needs of growing the manufactured

housing industry based in Clarion, PA.