Auberle Honors 2011 Community Partners: BNY Mellon & Weavertown Environmental Group

Auberle’s new HAZWOPER Program is made possible through an exclusive relationship with Weavertown Environmental Group. Weavertown has partnered with Auberle to train interested youth for environmental protection and remediation services.  The HAZWOPER program, in its first iteration, ends with Auberle youth acquiring an OSHA HAZWOPER Certification that can lead to real employment opportunities in the environmental services field.  Weavertown Environmental Group has entered the relationship with us to train our youth because they are looking to employ many of the individuals that the program certifies. Interested youth who successfully complete the program are given applications and encouraged to apply – an invaluable opportunity for at-risk youth. Under the leadership of CEO Dawn Fuchs, Weavertown provided the equipment, training and funding for the program. Fuchs made time to attend HAZWOPER functions and speak one-on-one with youth in the program. Troy Harris, Weavertown’s national trainer, facilitated the program after adapting the curriculum into an 8-week interactive course specifically designed for Auberle youth.

This year BNY Mellon selected Auberle as an organization in the Pittsburgh area to receive funding and assistance through its Powering Potential Global Focused Workforce Development Program to improve educational and employment outcomes for youth aging out of the social service system. Since January 1, 2011 BNY Mellon’s philanthropic investment has had an invaluable impact on our staff, our youth and the organization as a whole. This partnership has created opportunities for current Auberle staff to receive training and education on workforce development by reputable presenters at the national level. It also provided the funding to create the Auberle Employment Institute and increase the number and the quality of projects completed within the existing Vocational Department. Auberle youth, in turn, have received more on-the-job training through increased vocational opportunities and benefitted socially through life skills training and peer-to-peer connections provided at BNY Mellon’s annual youth leadership summit. BNY Mellon “opened its doors” by designing unique apprenticeship opportunities tailored to enhance the job skills of an aging out youth and motivate them to pursue higher careers. Over 20 BNY Mellon staff participated in an Auberle “Day of Caring” and some have even taken committed seats as leaders on our Board of Directors.