Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania Addresses Skilled-Trade Workforce Shortage with New Program

As Baby Boomers continue to retire at rapid rates and the Great Resignation charges  forward, the region’s hiring crisis for those competing for skilled-trade professionals rises to new heights. For example, the projected increase for manufacturing jobs is 5.3% in April 2022 compared to one year prior.

To address the shortage of skilled tradespeople, Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA) will launch a new initiative – JA Careers in Skilled Trades – to prepare the future workforce, address the growing and immediate need for skilled employees and change the narrative for how these careers are viewed and perceived by the public. JA Careers in Skilled Trades, which is an approved pre-apprenticeship program, will include the creation of pathways for students interested in automation, assembly, robotics and engineering.

A digital career module combined with in-person mentorship; JA Careers in Skilled Trades utilizes gamification strategies to introduce career pathways to students in seventh through 12th grades. The experience will expose them to professions that align with their skills and interests and highlight how technical skills are essential to manufacturing careers in the region.

As manufacturing jobs rebound from a low in 2019, the need to encourage and provide opportunities to students earlier in their lives is an important aspect of this program.

“Students are not getting the full picture,” said Patrice Matamoros, President of Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania. “We have conducted research and found that students are unaware of or don’t even know how to think about these types of careers. Unless someone in their family works in these industries, many students and parents aren’t aware of these jobs, or the benefits associated with them.” 

JA Careers in Skilled Trades, which will be ready by the end of the 2022/2023 school year, is an approved pre-apprenticeship program, and will launch as a pilot in the Pittsburgh area next spring. Afterward, it will be rolled out to 100 area schools and ultimately will extend the program to more than 330 western Pennsylvania schools by 2024. The program has received a Department of Labor grant that is established to promote manufacturing careers and apprenticeships. Another enticing aspect of this program is that JA is developing the program for the first time in western Pennsylvania and is designed to showcase how technical skills are essential to any manufacturing career before launching on a national level. 

JA Careers in Skilled Trades is intended to assist students in identifying career clusters of interest and serve as a feeder system into industry and trade-specific training and  certificate programs. By design, the program will help students to better match their interests and skills with careers that are both in high-growth and high-demand.  More important, the curriculum represents enrichment credits for schools across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thus creating a unique program that meets the needs of various stakeholders.

“This program will be a conduit for our students to access further training opportunities for these skilled trade careers. We see success as providing the tools and resources students, parents and educators need to help bridge the awareness gap, but also to have a rewarding career in manufacturing,” Matamoros said.

JA is working with corporate partners including MSA, PPG and Rosedale Tech to highlight careers within their companies and industries. These partnerships include customized approaches such as leadership development, professional development, career skills, personal finance and career exploration. Each partnership with JA is reinforced through events and programming designed to identify talents and a future workforce in the service, transportation, manufacturing, construction and technology sectors.

If you are interested in investing in the JA Careers in Skilled Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program or supporting the development of its curricula, contact Bill Lucas at blucas@jawesternpa.org or 412-376-3126.