Pittsburgh, PA – September 20th, 2002 – Bidwell Training Center, Inc. – 1815 Metropolitan Street – Annual Graduation Celebration for Bidwell Training Center, Inc. to be held Friday, September 20, 2002, from 7:00-9:00pm.  Valerie McDonald Roberts, the Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds to be the Keynote Speaker.  McDonald-Roberts was a former Pittsburgh Public School Board Member and President and later became City Council Woman before her current post.  McDonald-Roberts is a Chemist by trade.

Since 1968, Bidwell Training Center, Inc. has attracted national recognition for its innovative and career oriented training.  Programs feature strong partnerships with Pittsburgh’s premiere corporations, agencies and organizations.  Bidwell is an accredited post-secondary institution that offers short-term accelerated programs.  Training is geared toward equipping students with the necessary skills for employment in today’s ever-changing marketplace.  

Bidwell’s mission is to respond to employment markets in southwestern Pennsylvania by offering programs that provide career paths and opportunities for advancement in culinary, travel, software applications, administrative/
clerical, medical and chemical fields.  The celebration will also include graduates of the first Bidwell/Pittsburgh Public Schools joint venture.  Ten students who graduated from Langley High School’s Horticulture Academy will complete their internship at Bidwell and become employed in the new Drew Mathieson Center for Horticultural and Agricultural Technology and local businesses.

In recent years, a unique partnership has developed between Bidwell and Point Park College that encourages graduates to continue educational pursuits once they become gainfully employed.  College credit is given to students for their Bidwell experience and scholarship opportunities are available.

Corporate sponsors & partners include: IBM Corporation, UPMC, Allegheny Hospital, Bayer Corporation, PPG Industries, American Express Travel Services, AAA Travel, Apollo/Galileo Travel Services, Hewlett Packard, Highmark Blue-Cross-Blue Shield, Neville Chemical, Steelcase, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Plaza Suites, Zinc, Calgon Carbon, H.J. Heinz and others.

Among its many honors, Bidwell Training Center recently received an EPIC Award from the Department of Labor and The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.  This award honors public interest groups that have, through their exemplary efforts, supported affirmative action and linked their efforts with those of Federal contractors to enhance the employment opportunities for minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and special disabled and Vietnam-era veterans.

Graduates from Bidwell are currently working in training related fields throughout the region.  Bidwell’s annual graduation ceremony is a celebration of Success and Hope to approximately 200 students who have successfully completed career training or G.E.D. instruction over the last twelve months.

Students will graduate from the following diploma programs:
Culinary Arts, Information Sciences, Medical Coder, Medical Transcriptionist, Patient Information Coordinator, and Pharmacy Technician.

Additional recognition will be given to the following:
Chemical Laboratory Technician Program – Associates Degree.
Langley High School Horticultural Academy Interns – Certificate.
G.E.D. Graduates – Certificate.