Our History

P2A started in 2013 by representatives of construction-industry labor unions and community organizations in New York City.

Our mission is to recruit, train, and mentor people from low-income communities - specifically those in the re-entry community - for life-long careers in union construction.

We began our work as a formal organization with the Laborers’ Local 79 apprenticeship recruitment.*

We assisted 67 candidates, referred by local community organizations around New York City, who were from low-income communities and who did not have access to a computer. After 1 minute and 42 seconds, all 1000 interview spots were taken, and 32 of the 67 candidates assisted by P2A received interview spots.

Of these 32 successful candidates, 24 candidates committed to attending the 8-week P2A pre-apprenticeship class. By July 2016, 15 of our class members had been accepted into and completed the Local 79 apprenticeship program and are now working.

*This work, which was done mainly on a volunteer basis, was so successful that in January of 2016, P2A was incorporated and became a formal 501(c)(3).