Union Jobs for New Yorkers in Need
PINCC and IBEW Local 3 handed out tool sets to nearly 100 new electrical apprentices to jumpstart their careers in the building trades
New Yorkers need good jobs to stay in this increasingly unaffordable city. At the same time, many unions and employers are in need of qualified workers to fill in-demand roles. Pathways to Industrial and Construction Careers (PINCC), a project of the Consortium for Worker Education, is helping solve both of these problems by understanding the needs of union employers and preparing workers to succeed in their industries.
“We have a program that supports job seekers, while working with partners to provide a comprehensive approach to training that ends with landing a job,” says Sonia Torruella, a director at the Consortium for Worker Education.
"PINCC was exactly the program I needed," says Luis Umpierre, one of the participants. "The classes are convenient and the instructors are supportive. If you are willing to put in the work, PINCC will be there to help you succeed and move forward in your career."
PINCC was founded in 2022 as a partnership with the New York City Human Resources Administration and its workforce centers, funded by a federal grant. The program provides job training directly, or in partnership with community organizations, to help workers get necessary credentials like commercial driver’s licenses or OSHA certifications. Workers then are placed directly into good-paying jobs at transportation, industrial, or security companies, or into union apprenticeships in the building trades.
“All of the jobs offer a prevailing wage with medical coverage, retirement benefits, and protections,” says Torruella. “They have to be sustainable wages to sustain the employment.”
Career navigators on the PINCC team work with the participants to get them ready for the job and hiring process. They help prepare resumes, practice interviews, and offer computer literacy classes. If workers need additional support, like Metrocards, PINCC provides them or refers participants to partner organizations. After workers complete training and enter the workforce, PINCC support continues, to ensure they stay employed and succeed in their new career.
Over 200 job seekers and ten employers converged on PINCC's job fair, hosted at CWE's Maiden Lane offices.
Much of PINCC's success comes from understanding the short-term challenges that are standing in the way of long-term success for many New Yorkers. For instance, when PINCC staffers learned that some low-income workers were not able to get started in a building trades apprenticeship because they could not afford the necessary tools of the trade, PINCC purchased tool sets and partnered with building trades unions to present them to incoming apprentices. And when many workers were one certification away from landing a sustainable career, but needed help with exam fees, PINCC again was able to step in and remove that barrier.
“Unions and employers have folks who are coming to them, but they have a lot of barriers,” says Torruella. “We are now doing reverse recruitment. Employers send job candidates to us. We onboard them into the PINCC program, prepare them for the job, and send them back to the employer as on-the-job trainees. We are providing the support that is needed to get them through the door.”
PINCC has already placed over 900 workers into great jobs, with a goal of reaching 1000 total placements by the end of the year. To learn more about PINCC and enroll, visit our website.