PIC YouthBuild Program Site Visit

On Friday August 12, 2011, The Uniontown Youthbuild Crew went on a site visit to the Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers (WPOE), Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program: http://wpaoperators.org

At this site located in New Alexandria, PA, the WPOE train individuals interested in becoming heavy equipment operators and/or mechanic technicians.

The crew supervisor, Dreyer Shipley of the PIC, along with Jim Hayes and Heidi Petrosky of Westmoreland County Community College, accompanied the Youthbuild crew to the WPOE site.  While there the Youthbuild crew learned about the different jobs within the Operators labor union, as well as how to become a member of the Union. During their time at the WPOE site, the crew had the opportunity to operate cranes, bulldozers, excavators and backhoes. Each crew member took turns operating each piece of equipment on their own, moving mass amounts of earth from place to place and operating a crane, moving barrels from location to location. Joe Cuppett said “This by far was the best day yet, and I’m going to try to join the WPOE as soon as I get done with YouthBuild.”

The Uniontown Youthbuild initiative comes by way of an $822,673 grant received by the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board. This endeavor is to provide youth (ages 18-24) with a comprehensive construction-training program, and will offer Energy Readiness Training to provide a basic understanding of current environmental issues and green building education.  Youth will also be made aware of what green jobs are available in the local community.  The current Youthbuild crew consists of Crystal McDonald, 23, of Menallen; Jon Cuppett, 19, of McClellandtown; Fred Barnett, 20, of Uniontown; and Joe Cuppett, 22, of Brownsville.