Initiatives

The WFWIB has been a leader in the Westmoreland-Fayette area to implement partnerships where businesses, local school districts, and students collaborate. This collaboration educates our future workforce on career and college pathways. The following entities are currently hosting WFWIB BEP funded programs:

• German American Chamber of Commerce – Pittsburgh Chapter
• Pittsburgh Chapter of NTMF – SWPA BotsIQ
• Redstone Foundation
• Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Development

The Teacher In the Workplace program, or TIW, is a WFWIB initiative within the Westmoreland-Fayette area focused on connecting educators and school administrators with our local area’s industry leaders. Through these connections, our education and workforce systems are aligned to best support local students.

Currently, the WFWIB is operating a Westmoreland County focused TIW initiative. Through this initiative, Westmoreland County K-12 school district educators will be provided with unique and valuable opportunities of participating in industry-based partnerships, new best practices, relevant workforce information, and new career pathway understandings. Educators will explore Manufacturing, Healthcare, Business Services, Technology, and the Trades to strengthen career readiness, pathway opportunities, and classroom instruction for students’ future success.

For more information on TIW, visit www.westfaywib.org/tiw.

Experience Work! PLUS is an internship program coordinating opportunities for Westmoreland County and Fayette County young adults fulfilling unpaid internship opportunities with local organizations.

The benefit for students: gaining paid, relevant career experience in their field of study to prepare them for the workforce. The benefit for organizations: hosting a no-cost intern to support operations and support the area’s future workforce.

For more information regarding Experience Works! PLUS and the application information, follow the link here.

TANF Youth Career readiness programs support in-school and out-of-school youth residing in Westmoreland County and Fayette County. Programs under this initiative work to provide youth with opportunities to gain quality work habits, valuable employment skills, and education on career pathways that support career and life goals. The following entities are currently hosting WFWIB TANF Youth Career Readiness funded programs:

• German American Chamber of Commerce – Pittsburgh Chapter
• Intermediate Unit 1
• Pittsburgh Chapter NTMF – SWPA BotsIQ
• Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc.

WIOA Youth Employment & Training Programs support in-school and out-of-school youth residing in Westmoreland County and Fayette County who meet WIOA eligibility. Programs under this initiative lead youth to achieving academic and technical skills as well as employment success. The following entities are currently hosting WFWIB WIOA Youth Employment & Training Programs:

• Equus Workforce Solutions
• Fayette County Community Action Agency
• Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc.

Within the local area, the WFWIB invests WIOA funding to develop a broad array of pre-/apprenticeship opportunities. These opportunities provide benefits to a diverse group of job seekers and employers, including those with barriers to employment and those in underserved communities. By providing several pre-/apprenticeship program opportunities, individuals gain valuable skills that will directly benefit local employers through hands-on work-based training. The WFWIB has supported pre-/apprenticeship programs with BEP funds, TANF funds, and WIOA youth funds to assist our local youth to prepare for skills needed for local industries and enter registered apprenticeship (RA) programs.

The WFWIB, and Southwest Planning Region as a whole, will continue exploring ways to partner with training providers, employers, and the Commonwealth’s Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) to expand apprenticeships in the region, including ways to connect women, people of color, and other populations to apprenticeship opportunities.

Under the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) INSPIRE initiative, the Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Recovery Ecosystem builds and expands upon programs, partnerships, and efforts across the region to address the human, economic, and health impacts of substance abuse disorders (SUD). As a regional effort with Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board, Three Rivers Workforce Development Board, and Tri-County Workforce Investment Board, Inc., the WFWIB targets multiple stakeholder populations—including individuals in recovery seeking to find or advance in employment, businesses, and healthcare systems—to further develop and strengthen regional collaboration, sharing, and resource leveraging in a continual effort to bolster the recovery ecosystem.

The Westmoreland-Fayette Youth Re-Entry Program is funded by the Youth Reentry Cooperative Network (YRCN). The YRCN is a collaborative project between the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board (SCWDB) and the WFWDB. The YRP aims to enhance re-entry strategies for young adults ages 18 to 24 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system. Comprehensive case management and supportive services are delivered in tandem with mentoring support including facilitating access to vocational training, education, post-secondary information, soft-skills training, and transitional employment to increase job skills and readiness. In the event that the returning youth does not have a high school diploma, youth will be worked back into the school system or connected to a local GED/remediation program.

A primary goal of YRP is to help participants gain unsubsidized, career-track employment that affords self-sustaining income. The gains of YRP participants will result in long-term community benefits of higher employment, lower recidivism, and increased public safety.

For more information regarding the Westmoreland-Fayette Youth Re-Entry Program, please reach out to WFWIB Executive Director Janet Ward at jward@westfaywib.org.