PHILADELPHIA, PA — Gov. Josh Shapiro today announced a new $3 million state investment to expand the Steamfitters Local Union 420 Training Center, a move state officials say will dramatically grow apprenticeship opportunities and help fill in-demand jobs across Pennsylvania’s economy.
The funding, awarded through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, brings the Commonwealth’s total investment in the project to $8 million and positions the Philadelphia-based union to triple apprenticeship enrollment. Shapiro was joined at the training center by Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger, labor leaders, contractors, and industry stakeholders.
State officials said the expansion is designed to ensure more Pennsylvanians can access debt-free, high-quality apprenticeship pathways that lead directly to stable, well-paying careers, while giving employers a larger pipeline of skilled workers for major projects.
“There are many paths to success — and here in Pennsylvania, we respect and invest in all of them,” Shapiro said, adding that apprenticeship programs like those at Steamfitters Local 420 prepare workers for jobs that fuel long-term economic growth.
The project builds on a $5 million RACP grant awarded in November 2024 and a previous visit by Shapiro to the facility in April 2025. With the additional $3 million, total state support now covers nearly half of the $17.5 million expansion, which includes new and renovated classrooms, an expanded service training shop, construction of a second level for mechanical equipment, and upgrades to the union hall and administrative offices.
Once completed, the expanded center is expected to significantly increase training capacity for Local 420, which represents about 4,900 members and 425 apprentices across ten counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. The union offers two five-year apprenticeship tracks focused on steamfitting and mechanical equipment installation and maintenance.
Siger called the grant a force multiplier for workers and businesses, saying the expansion will help meet workforce demand while opening doors for more residents to gain in-demand skills.
The announcement also ties into broader workforce investments outlined in Shapiro’s proposed 2026–27 budget, which includes an additional $18 million for career and technical education, vo-tech programs, and apprenticeships, bringing proposed annual funding to $200 million. Since Shapiro took office, state funding for those programs has increased by nearly $65 million, a 50 percent rise.
Union leaders said the investment strengthens a training legacy more than a century old. Business Manager Jim Snell said the expansion will create new opportunity for Pennsylvanians while reinforcing the region’s economic competitiveness.
State officials noted that apprentices trained through the program graduate without debt and with skills needed for large-scale developments, including advanced manufacturing, energy, and technology projects underway across the Commonwealth.
The Shapiro administration said the investment reflects its broader strategy of pairing economic development with workforce readiness, ensuring that Pennsylvanians are trained to fill the jobs being created by record levels of private-sector investment statewide.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.