Pre-Apprenticeship Training
A pre-apprenticeship program for adults in our region who are ready to move from training to family-sustaining work in the building trades, manufacturing, and emerging energy.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.
DeWitt Walton and Breaking the Chains participants on the program, the people, and the support behind it. 1 minute 25 seconds.
About the Program
→ Letter of recommendation
Breaking the Chains is a free eight-week pre-apprenticeship program for adults ready to build careers in the building trades, manufacturing, and emerging energy sectors. We train you in the technical skills, certifications, and workplace fluency that union employers actually look for. Then we hand you a letter of recommendation that guarantees you an interview with a local trade union.
What separates this from other workforce programs is our partnership ecosystem. Our foundation is with the United Steel Workers; we work with 30 employer and union partners across Southwestern Pennsylvania. This is workforce training with a way through. When you graduate, you don't get a list of job boards. You get introduced, by name, to the people who hire.
Eligibility
Breaking the Chains is open to adults in our region who are ready to commit to eight weeks of training. To apply, you'll need to meet these baseline requirements:
18 years of age or older
High school diploma or GED
Reside in the Pittsburgh metropolitan region
Valid driver's license preferred (not required)
Pass a drug test (no marijuana use)
Ready to commit to the cohort schedule
what you'll learn
Over eight weeks, you'll build the technical fluency, workplace skills, and industry credentials that union employers and apprenticeship programs look for, taught by working tradespeople and labor educators.
Skills
Financial Literacy
Conflict Resolution
Workplace Ethics
Human and Workers' Rights
Trade Policy Building
Trades Math + Computer Literacy
Certifications
HAZWOPER
OSHA 30hr Construction
Environmental Literacy
Mold Remediation
PennDOT Flagger
First Aid + CPR
How It Works
1
Apply
2
TABE Assessment
3
Interview
4
Drug Test
5
Graduate
Where + When
USW Building · 60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA 15222
Upcoming cohorts: July 6, 2026 and September 21, 2026
Where This Leads
Electricians, ironworkers, carpenters, sheet metal, operating engineers, and more. Our region's building trade unions hire hundreds each year and our graduates are at the front of the line.
The Pittsburgh region's industrial backbone, from steel to advanced manufacturing. Our partnerships with the United Steelworkers open doors to high-wage, benefits-rich production roles.
Renewables, weatherization, and the energy transition workforce. These are some of the fastest-growing union sectors in the region. We'll prepare you for them.
Graduates
Employer Partners
Our graduates arrive prepared. They're not just certified. They've completed eight weeks of workplace fluency, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and industry-specific training. They show up ready to add value from day one.
Partnering with APRI means joining 30 employer and union organizations across Southwestern Pennsylvania actively shaping a more equitable workforce. We're already building the pipeline of talent your sector needs. Reach out if you'd like to be part of it.
Get In Touch
Tell us about your hiring needs and let's open a conversation about partnership.
Built With
Common Questions
Breaking the Chains is free. There is no tuition, no application fee, and no cost for materials or certifications. The program is funded through APRI Pittsburgh's partnerships with employers, unions, foundations, and individual supporters.
Eight weeks. Classes meet during the day at the USW Building at 60 Boulevard of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh.
Cohorts run on a rolling basis throughout the year. Submit your application or contact our office to learn about the next start date.
No. The program is designed for adults entering or transitioning into the trades. You'll learn what you need from working tradespeople and labor educators.
A high school diploma or GED is preferred. If you don't meet entry requirements today, we can connect you with partners who can help you prepare. Charlene Jones is one of many participants who built her skills through a partner program and reapplied successfully.
Many of our most successful graduates came to us with records. Breaking the Chains focuses on your present, not your past. A record doesn't automatically disqualify you. We work with employer partners who hire based on skill, certification, and commitment. Get in touch and we'll talk it through.
The training itself is unpaid. But graduates often start apprenticeships immediately after completion, where you earn a wage while you continue learning.
You receive a letter of recommendation that guarantees an interview with a partner trade union. From there, the union's apprenticeship process takes over.
Breaking the Chains is administered by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and facilitated in partnership with United Steelworkers. We're built on the alliance between the civil rights movement and the labor movement. We don't just open the door to a career. We walk through it with you, and we stay connected long after graduation.
Breaking the Chains
Free. Eight weeks at the USW Building. Graduates with a letter of recommendation are guaranteed an interview with a partner union.
Apply Now
