by Liberty FerdaA cutting-edge job with competitive pay and health insurance, no college degree required? Try typing “advanced manufacturing” in the search bar. Also called “clean manufacturing,” the field combines robotics technology and manufacturing and is the eighth highest-paying secto r in our region. According to a 2024 jobs report from Catalyst Connection, there are approximately 30,000 of these new jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but companies are struggling to fill positions.On March 13, local nonprofit Prototype PGH launched Step On Up: Maker to Manufacturer, a six-month workforce development program designed  to help tackle the problem. In partnership with New Century Careers and Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Institute, the program provides training in some of the skills required for these positions such as 3D modeling, computer-aided design and manufacturing, screen printing, lathe and mill operation and more. Participants interested in Prototype PGH’s Step On Up program at Hazelwood Green’s Mill 19 on March 13. Photo by Moe Williams.Prototype founder and Executive Director Erin Gatz, whose great-grandfather was a steelworker in Pittsburgh, saw a need to offer an on-ramp to these jobs to local folks, especially women, people with marginalized gender identities and those from low-income communities. “I’ve watched the transformation of Pittsburgh from steel town to tech town and noted who gets jobs when, for example, tech companies open offices — often it’s transplants to Pittsburgh. I want to support people who come from under-resourced areas in Pittsburgh.”  For women especially, overcoming the stigma around who manufacturing jobs are for can be a challenge.  Sandra DeVincent Wolf, executive director of the CMU Manufacturing Futures Institute, demonstrates the use of a robotic welding device. Photos by Liberty Ferda. “Manufacturing is historically male dominated, and we don’t always feel like we have permission to be in these spaces,” she says. One way to give permission, Gatz notes, is to lower the barriers of cost, transportation and child care. That’s why the Step On Up program is free. Participants also receive a $25 travel stipend for each class, and dinner and child care are provided. “When I found out there was child care for my 5-year-old, that was crucial,” says Jess Hobaugh, who enrolled in the program with her 20-year-old child, Kadence Boykin. “I want to see where this [program] takes me. If I get a new job, good. If I gain a better understanding of how products are made, that’s good too.” Boykin, who recently completed training in welding, wants to be a roller coaster engineer and sees this program as another step toward that goal. Kadence Boykin, left, and their mother Jess Hobaugh are both interested in pursuing the Step On Up program. Photo by Liberty Ferda.There are 30 participants from diverse backgrounds, with a variety of hopes for the program: a seasonal farm worker ready for a more stable career; a middle school teacher wanting to gain knowledge to share with his students; an installation artist and single mom seeking to expand skills and maybe get a job in the field; a student studying architecture remotely who’s looking for hands-on practice to complement digital work.The launch took place at Hazelwood Green’s Mill 19, where three solar-paneled, LEED Gold buildings were built within the skeleton of an abandoned mill. The 265,000-square-foot complex houses the Manufacturing Futures Institute and tech companies Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM), Motional and YKK AP Technologies. Participants toured the spaces where researchers are training robots to build Lego houses and using 3D printers to cast metal gears. The group will meet there in May and June for classes on electrical circuits, hand tool use and AI for productivity.Starting on March 20, classes meet every other Thursday evening, with four courses held at each of the partner locations — first Prototype in Sharpsburg, then Manufacturing Futures Institute at Mill 19, and finally New Century Careers in the South Side. Participants will also meet with a mentor — a Prototype board member — once per month.As part of the Build Back Better Initiative, Step On Up is funded by The Block Center for Technology and Society, as well as YWCA Greater Pittsburgh in partnership with the POISE Foundation. From left, Sandra DeVincent Wolf, executive director of the CMU Manufacturing Futures Institute, Erin Gatz, Prototype founder and executive director, and Neil Ashbaugh, president/CEO of New Century Careers. Photo by Moe Williams.The program culminates in a job fair on Sept. 25 with local manufacturing companies. If participants choose to apply for a job then, they’ll be ready for positions such as machinist, field service technician and production worker. That’s the part that excites Teaira Collins, a home health worker and mother of five, most — the opportunity to meet employers and maybe start a new job right after the program. Or, if participants want more specialized, higher-level positions in the field, they can enroll in further training, such as New Century Careers’ Manufacturing 2000 pre-apprenticeship program that starts in October. At the launch, New Century Careers President/CEO Neil Ashbaugh shared his ambition for the program.“My goal is to get you making college-degree money without the college debt,” he said.Liberty Ferda has worked as a freelance copywriter, editor, project manager and teacher for 19 years. She grew up in rural Illinois and currently resides with her husband and two daughters in Pittsburgh.The post Prototype PGH’s new job training program creates pathway to growing manufacturing sector appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh. ...read more read less