UcanB Education and Workforce -2018
Building Bridges for Business’ Education Department provides career education and job placement to thousands of Western Pennsylvania’s middle and high school students via its #UcanB Program. The organization’s Workforce Development Department coordinates and/or participates in a number of community events designed to advance the careers of working adults throughout the region. The Pittsburgh Community has rallied around the #UcanB Career Education Program. A vast array of organizations and individuals contributed time and resources to help educate youth in Western Pennsylvania. More than 50 guest speakers from more than 50 local organizations and businesses visited #UcanB classrooms thus far in 2018, participated in #UcanB events and hosted #UcanB students for tours. This allowed #UcanB the opportunity to expose students to a multitude of career paths and job opportunities. Students met with a diverse group of businesses representing government, retail, IT, entrepreneurship, military, media, advanced manufacturing and more! In addition, the Workforce Development Department received similar support in its efforts to provided services to working-aged adults. Businesses and individuals from Erie, Pa all the way to Charleston, WV contributed to this portion of Building Bridges’ mission. Building Bridges’ Career Fairs were fully booked within 24 hours. Over 1,500 adults received direct services through the Workforce Development Department even though the organization does not have a specific budget dedicated for these...
read moreJob Fair with U.S. Probation Helped Hundreds
On Thursday, March 15, with Rep. Dan Deasy and in partnership with Building Bridges for Business and U.S. Probation & Pre Trial Services, Senator Fontana hosted a Job Fair for interested job seekers. The Job Fair was held in the Social Hall at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, located at 1810 Belasco Avenue in Beechview. The Job Fair featured local companies looking to fill positions now. There were also representatives who talked about apprenticeships and other technical training programs to help individuals gain information on acquiring new skills to become gainfully employed. Many job seekers face barriers to employment like issues related to a past criminal record, a suspended driver’s license, lack of high school diploma or necessary job skills. The Job Fair included three breakout sessions that address these barriers. From 4:30-5 p.m., attendees can join a breakout session to learn more about the driver’s license restoration process. From 5:30-6 p.m., a session on pardons and record expungement will take place. Anyone wishing to learn more about improving job skills and short-term training programs can attend the session from 6:30-7 p.m. Hundreds of community members attended this...
read moreA UcanB teacher Impacting the Lives of Students
When you make a difference in the life of a young person, you create a better future. I know because I’m lucky enough to experience it every day as a teacher for the UcanB program. With UcanB, I provide career skills education for students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it. I connect communities, employers, and schools to provide economic opportunities for students and their parents. I am helping to build a strong, revitalized Pittsburgh region, for today and tomorrow. The best part is, you can join in. I’d like to personally invite you to learn more about this incredible program, and how you can make a difference for young people right here in our region. UcanB is a unique hands-on career education program for students in grades 6-12. Consisting of over 76 weeks of customizable curriculum, UcanB focuses on in-demand fields, STEM careers, entrepreneurship, and soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and time management. Schools choose the areas that are the best fit for their students and communities, and UcanB brings teachers, business and civic leaders, and our unique “Coffee With…” series, that includes interviews with entrepreneurs in a wide array of industries. Students participate in classes, small group projects, mentorship, and portfolio building. During the program, students have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with mentors in the career fields they want to pursue, asking questions and getting real world insight into the most in-demand industries in our region. I’d love to share with you what our students are saying about the UcanB program and the difference it’s making in their lives today. Here are some reactions from students who have experienced UcanB: “I believe that the speakers were helpful and well spoken. The topic of health care careers was most helpful to me. I want to be a paramedic. I believe that I have more understanding of my career plans. They did address me and answered my questions and that was appreciated. I also liked how they saw the potential in each and every one of us. They actually believe in people like us. They came to encourage us. We need more speakers like these.” M.B. Shaler High School “I want to get a career that I LOVE!! I learned this through the UcanB classes. My next step is to explore internships in an interesting field.” 11th Grade Propel student U can B Teacher, 2018...
read moreWhy did we start UcanB Career Education ?
Americans have always taken pride in having the best-educated workforce in the world, but now that is no longer true. In Tough Choices, Tough Times, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce reports that over the past 30 years one country after another has surpassed the United States in the percentage of its population entering the workforce with the equivalent of a high school diploma, and many more countries are on the verge of doing so. Thirty years ago, the U.S. could lay claim to having 30 percent of the world’s population of college students. Today that proportion has fallen substantially, to 14 percent, and continues to decline. American students place anywhere from the middle of the pack to the bottom in all three continuing comparative studies of achievement in mathematics, science, and general literacy among advanced industrial nations. Students from low-income families are six times more likely not to finish high school than those from high-income families. Dropouts face severe obstacles to employment, livable wages, and civic participation; instead, many drift into crime. This situation means a loss of opportunities for the individuals, substantial cost to the government and taxpayers, and a decline in productivity for businesses. Even those students who do graduate may not be well prepared. According to the National Reading Panel, American companies lose nearly $40 billion annually due to illiteracy. A survey by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee and the National Career Development Association found that a majority of students report feeling unprepared in skills, knowledge, and attitudes upon entering the workforce. According to the Manhattan Institute, only about 20% of African-American and Hispanic students graduate college-ready. This skills crisis is becoming more critical because the American economy is shifting. Not only will the traditional skills of reading, writing and math be needed to thrive in this economy, but also technological know-how and proficiency in self-direction. Of the mainstream public school population, graduation rates hover between 70 and 80 percent for all students and 50 percent for minority students. The disparity widens when only “at-risk” students are...
read moreUcanB – Share Your Career Journey
Career education for schools in the region expands into the Mon Valley. The UcanB program has succeeded in schools around the Pittsburgh area, and has expanded to schools throughout Pennsylvania. In many of the schools where our program has been offered, students are experiencing mentorship, technology, and the first time they were ever given information on planning a successful career. We reach students in communities, and build stronger connections between students, parents, schools, and area businesses with our opportunity fairs, that match community members with local employers. How do I become a UcanB Speaker? The process to becoming a speaker is straightforward and will work to ensure that Building Bridges and UcanB career education is the best fit for you. The process includes: 1. Complete the online information session by phone (15 minutes) 2. Apply online (8-10 minutes) 3. Complete an in-person interview with staff (30 minutes) 4. Pass a background and finger print screening (15 minutes after in-person interview) 5. Participate in Training (1.0 hour) Please reach out to info@BuildingBridgesforBusiness.org if you are interested. What is Building Bridges for Business? Building Bridges is a 501(c)3 organization that educates and empowers through: • U can B Career education program (Educating 6th-12th grade students on careers) • Job fairs and job placement for students and adults • The Coffee With Show • Building the Bridges across the business and workforce ecosystem Other Ways that you Can You Get Involved? • Donate to our U can B career education program and help provide students with the skills they need to succeed. All contributions are tax deductible and support classroom education and job placement. • Ask us about our EITC, Education Improvement Tax Credit, program for your business. • United Way Donate Now –...
read moreCareer Readiness Indicator – Work with UcanB
Building Bridges for Business is a 501©3 located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Career Readiness Indicator program is now a requirement for schools across Pennsylvania. Building Bridges has been providing career education and workforce development programs for years and school are working with UcanB to meet these requirements. The flagship program is UcanB. The UcanB program is a unique experiential program that teaches entrepreneurship, leadership, and career-readiness in a variety of areas to middle school and high school aged students. Our proven curriculum combines interactive technology, hands-on projects, and mentorship from business and civic leaders to give students the skills they will need to succeed in a fast-paced and competitive job marketplace. We focus on fields that are in-demand and growing in our region, including careers in science, healthcare, green, technology, media, veterinary and animal related careers, entrepreneurial careers and...
read moreUcanB Teacher Wins Achievement Award at Ice Gala
Ice Gala – January 27, 2018 – I received a distinct honor tonight from the the German American Chamber of Commerce for the work I’ve done through the Building Bridges U Can Be Education Program. A program that I’ve been working with High Schools in the area. Visit https://buildingbridgesforbusiness.org/u-can-b-program/ I was completely humbled and caught off guard. I wanted to share this with you. – Alexander Nichols on Winning award at ICE GALA Apprentice background – No other apprenticeship system is as widely applied and successful as the German system. Every year, 1.5 million people train in the German system. Because of this, Germany enjoys the lowest youth unemployment of any industrialized nation (7.1%), and youth unemployment far below the United States (16.8%) and the Eurozone average (22.3%). With over 125 German companies in the Pittsburgh region, there is an enormous demand for skilled employees with specialized training and education. Following the completion of our pilot program, GACC Pittsburgh Chapter and our Partner, UCanB are proud to introduce the German Style Apprenticeship Program to the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Partners for the pilot included VEKA Industries, Seneca Valley High School, Rosedale Technical College. GACC Pittsburgh Chapter collaborated with partners to develop a curriculum specific to VEKA’s job requirements and based on the IHK’s “Verfahrensmechaniker fuer Kunststoff- und Kautschuktechnik, Fachrichtung Halbzeuge” curriculum. Seven senior students began the apprenticeship for extrusion operation with VEKA Industries, the world’s largest extruder of uPVC profiles in January 2016. The program has now expanding to include seven companies with a range of the IHK’s apprentice modules, providing skilled workers to Pittsburgh businesses and job security to local students. OUR PARTNER Certification The German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter’s Dual Apprenticeship Program has been registered by the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry and approved by the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council and the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship. The certification will be recognized on a state and federal national for the Process Mechanic in Polymer Technology (includes Extrusion and Blow Mold Operators) and Mechatronics Technician. Upon completion, the apprentices will receive certification by the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter and recognized by the State of Pennsylvania and throughout the US....
read moreThe Education Foundation Supports UcanB
Shaler Area School District began working with U can B in 2017 for a series of information technology, job readiness and career awareness classes. This program for middle school students was made possible by a grant from The Education Foundation. Students met with a U can B instructor every Monday to discuss topics such as technology, career assessment, understanding the job market, careers in IT and more! Additionally, UcanB will attend the STEM OPEN HOUSE for High School students in February 2018. This event will allow teachers and administrators to review existing resources and new programs for Shaler Area students. Andrew Weckman, President and CEO of The Education Foundation, said, “We recognize Building Bridges and the UcanB Career Education program as an innovative provider in the education space. We are proud to work with this organization and be able to advance both of our goals to reach students and provide exceptional career education.” Alexander Nichols, a #UcanB teacher, met with Shaler students and discussed his experience to get to the CEO level. He provided life lessons from his work at General Electric, Rockwell, and his own business Computer Friend and working for the Minority Purchasing Council, an organization whose mission was to provide opportunities for minority business owners. He described attributes that he would look for in a prospective employee including education, honesty, being a hard worker, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. Nick went on to discuss the benefits of participating in the student government to gain leadership abilities, participating in school activities like the marching band and athletics. Nick also described his involvement in ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Program). An upcoming event for Shaler Area High School students is the Shaler Area High School S.T.E.A.M. Advisory Board’s 4th Annual Community STEAM Expo on February 22nd, 2018. The event will showcase science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics with their application in community business, industries and related fields of study. The expo will be held from 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for students and 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. for families. The evening event will coincide with the high school’s winter open house, which will allow students and parents to engage with local STEAM-related companies to see what technologies or opportunities they bring to the community. Information about the Education Foundation and Building Bridges for Business and the UcanB career education program. The Education Foundation is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Over the many years and granting over $6,000,000 in scholarships to deserving students, The Education Foundation believes that offering opportunities to learn about education and occupation is vital to students and employers. The focus on both new and traditional occupations is necessary for the future health and growth of our economy as well. In order to contribute to students’ academic and intellectual success, The Education Foundation offers tutoring services for students as well as offering scholarships to deserving students, when funds are available. To inquire about tutoring services, contact admin@educationfdn.org or call (412) 453-6272 for more information. Building Bridges for Business is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in the Northside of Pittsburgh. UcanB has reached over 25,000 students in the past 3 years alone. UcanB has provided thousands of teaching hours, hosted major city-wide events, and helped people find the right resources and jobs, recently via the...
read morePersonal Tax Credits for your Pennsylvania STATE TAXES
Did you know that though most U.S. citizens think we have the most educated workforce in the world, we’re actually lagging way behind? This bothered us immensely. This bothered us so much, actually, we decided that we would help by starting small in Pennsylvania. Our mission statement reiterates this when it says, “Our mission is to strengthen the economic vitality of the region by providing educational programming and opportunities for students to connect with vital resources.” Though UcanB does do all these amazing things for our children, the future of America, we can also benefit you! UcanB’s Education Improvement Tax Credit Program has just become available to individuals this past year. As an example of how our program works, lets say you owe $3,000 in PA STATE taxes and your receive tax credits, you would owe $0. If you’re eager to hop on board and donate, all you have to do is complete a one page application. You can also just donate using our “donate” link on the Building Bridges website. For more information on Corporate or Personal tax Credits – Email us at Info@BuildingBridgesforBuisness.org Link to the DCED. for more information on Corporate and Personal Tax Credits. Business in Pennsylvania Building Bridges for Business is a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides career education to school students in the area of job growth. The Building Bridge’s career education program, U can B, features over 70+ weeks of curriculum adhering to the PA State teaching guidelines. U can B has subject matter experts and teachers who teach in the areas of science, technology, trades, entrepreneurship, television and new media, digital citizenship, workforce readiness and soft skills. U can B is taught in school, afterschool, and in summer programs. A blended learning approach utilizes curriculum, teachers and videos along with hands-on exercises to reach students in a new way. Building Bridges is also EITC approved and a participating United Way organization. Building Bridges is a 501(c) (3) organization that educates and empowers through: • Live and virtual business education • Coffee With Film Series • U can B career education program for 6th -12th grade students • and Building the Bridges across the business and workforce...
read moreUcanB teaches Career Education to Thousands
UcanB has wrapped up a successful 2016-2017 school year. This year alone, the program incorporated many new schools in addition to the many schools the program has already impacted. The UcanB program differs from most scholastic programs due to the broad range of real-life topics that are taught. The program taught varying topics that the students would otherwise not be exposed to. The topics that the UcanB program brings to these schools vary from technology training all the way to entrepreneurship. The goal is essentially to expose the students to things they might be interested in taking as a career path, or even study in school. The program also recognized that many students don’t end up going onto college, and through the UcanB Career Opportunity Fairs, they have a chance to be offered a full time job on the spot. This year, the program changed the lives and paths of many students who never planned on going to college or doing anything after high school. For example, an 11th grade Propel student said, “The UcanB teacher told me that there are many jobs out there and getting a college degree isn’t the only path. Loving what you do for an occupation is #1. They really helped me.” Due to the positive impact the UcanB program has made in the community thus far, they are planning to add even more topics and assemblies to further the knowledge of the working world to the students. Some of those topics will include ways in which to dress for a job interview or what to wear to a professional workplace. These topics will be taught in a way that is engaging, motivational, and relatable to the students. There might even be a prize for exceptional students. The UcanB program has had an exceptional school year and now looks forward to starting their summer...
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