Governor Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced $297,000 in new funding through Pennsylvania’s Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program to help the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 9 continue its Western Pennsylvania Bricklayers Masonry Training Program in Clarion, Venango, Jefferson, and 26 other counties, as well as preparing apprentices for good-paying jobs.
(Photo courtesy of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 9.)
“There is great demand for skilled workers in the trowel trades, especially in western Pennsylvania” said Gov. Wolf. “This new funding will help the training program continue, and through it, BAC Local 9 will be able to help meet the industry’s demand.”
This funding will allow the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 9 to continue its apprenticeship program in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cameron, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, McKean, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Through the training courses, apprentices are taught bricklaying, tile setting, terrazzo work and stone masonry, while receiving on-the-job training under the supervision of Journeymen. The curriculum for the training program is a four-year commitment. At the end of the four years, a Journeyman will have completed 6,000 hours of on-the-job training as well as 576 hours of classroom and lab training.
“We sincerely appreciate this investment and confidence in the Western Pennsylvania Bricklayers Masonry Training Program,” said Norm Ringer, president, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 9. “This contribution will assist us in providing a strong foundation for anyone interested in starting a career in the masonry trades.”
Under Governor Wolf, 84 pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs have been supported and more than $13 million has been invested through Pennsylvania’s Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Program.
The program works to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development. Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Program funding is provided to eligible applicants for the purpose of reaching the goal of increasing apprenticeship accessibility across the state. Eligible uses of funds include expenses related to instruction that complements on-the-job learning.
For more information about the Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program and other economic development programs, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of the agency’s news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
