(April 16, 2018 – Bridgeport, CT) – Eleven Bridgeport residents today began a seven-week program that will pave the way for their entry into Connecticut’s local labor unions. PSEG Power Connecticut kicked off the second class of its Ready2Work Apprenticeship Readiness Training Program, with all training held at its Bridgeport Harbor Station. The apprenticeship readiness training program, announced last November, prepares Bridgeport residents for well-paying careers in the construction industry.

“We are very pleased to see this second session nearly filled to capacity – and nearly all participants are residents of Bridgeport,” said Frank Borres, chairman, NRZ Citywide Leadership Committee. “This is an indicator that our local community outreach is working and making a difference for Bridgeport residents and supports the credibility of this program.”

Lori Pelletier, president-Connecticut AFL-CIO, and a representative from the Connecticut State Department of Labor were on hand this morning to formally welcome the students to the program.
Ready2Work helps to build the construction industry’s workforce pipeline by creating opportunities for disadvantaged and low-skilled area residents. It uses the 120-hour online Multi-Craft Core Curriculum, along with 280 classroom instruction hours and hands-on training experiences.

“Ready2Work is not about helping these students find their next job,” said Amy Blackwood, executive director of Building Pathways CT, the program operator. “It’s about providing for their futures and their families’ futures.”

Ready2Work was designed in accordance with commitments made in the Community Environmental Benefit Agreement with the City of Bridgeport. With comprehensive training offered by Building Pathways CT and administered by Bridgeport’s own workforce development agency, The Workplace, the program prepares its graduates – including minorities, women and veterans of Bridgeport – for potential registered labor apprenticeship programs. It represents a half-million-dollar investment to support residents of the city of Bridgeport.

“Public Service is a union company’” said Rick Thigpen, PSEG vice president-state government affairs. “Graduates of the program will be on the path to a new career. Our hope is that, by working cooperatively with the building trades and the CT State Department of Labor, we are opening doors that will make a lasting, positive impact on the graduates’ lives.  It continues to be our goal that we leave this community better than we found it.”

This is the second of five Ready2Work classes that will be offered by PSEG. Others will follow in July, October and February 2019. A limited number of candidates will be admitted to each class. For more information, visit www.BridgeportHarborStation.com/Ready2Work.