Press Release

PITTSBURGH—The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) will partner with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 95 to prepare weatherization installers, crew chiefs and auditors through a $149,655 grant from federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

“CCAC is pleased to continue our rich partnership with Local 95 to meet another emerging opportunity in our nation’s greening workforce,” said CCAC President Alex Johnson, PhD. “By preparing people for these careers through short-term training, we will not only maintain our leadership in providing training for emerging green jobs but also continue to strengthen the economy of our region by enabling individuals to reach their career goals quickly and affordably.”

The grant awarded to CCAC and Local 95 is one of six presented statewide. The partners will provide weatherization training for Pennsylvanians across southwestern Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Green, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

“The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 95, and CCAC have worked collaboratively through a partnership to bring about sustainable changes to our region through education for the past several years,” said Local 95 Training Director Carl Luisi. “Together we have been training and teaching energy management and green technologies and are excited to be able to continue our mutual goals. The strength of the collaborative approach of this partnership will enable our region’s students to have new opportunities for innovative career paths.”

The six statewide grants, together totaling approximately $871,000, will provide weatherization training to learners seeking to become weatherization installers, crew chiefs and auditors. Two additional recipients will use $255,000 to provide technical assistance and apprenticeship development to the other six training providers. All funding recipients will help Pennsylvania identify, train and certify workers to complete high-quality energy reduction, conservation and weatherization activities in approximately 29,000 single- and multi-family homes across the state.

“Providing access to the education and training our workforce and employers need is essential to our state’s economic recovery and long-term strength,” Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell said. “This training, and the careers and services it will make possible, is going to have far-reaching effects, well beyond the classroom and individual opportunities it creates. Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians will benefit with more energy-efficient homes, lower utility bills and more money in their own pockets.”

The awards and training are part of a joint effort by the departments of Labor & Industry and Community and Economic Development to enhance a Weatherization Assistance Program that will provide training and career-focused employment to Pennsylvania’s workforce, create green jobs, improve residential energy efficiency and speed the commonwealth’s economic recovery.

Prospective students may contact CCAC at 412.788.7350 for more information.

For additional information about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act initiatives in Pennsylvania, visit www.recovery.pa.gov.

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About CCAC
The Community College of Allegheny County is the largest institution of postsecondary higher education in Pennsylvania. The college serves 30,000 credit students through 170 degree and certificate programs and offers thousands of lifelong learning non-credit and workforce development courses to 35,000 students annually. Incorporating a learning-centered environment committed to the future of the region, CCAC continues to expand its reach through innovative programming and accessible instruction offered via convenient day, evening, weekend and online courses. With four campuses and six centers serving Allegheny County and surrounding communities, CCAC endeavors to fulfill its mission to provide affordable access to quality education and offer a dynamic, diverse and supportive learning environment that prepares the region’s residents for academic, professional and personal success in our changing global society.