Opportunity Brokers - Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

What Our Opportunity Brokers Do

The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s Opportunity Brokers work in targeted communities to help move people from unemployed and underemployed to economic self-sufficiency. This role is a critical part of a strategy to reduce regional poverty.

Our goal is to open the pipeline for a diversified candidate pool to successfully compete for sustaining-wage job opportunities. We work with individuals who are unemployed or underemployed and help them upskill, gain confidence, and pursue pathways that lead to long-term economic opportunities.

The Opportunity Brokers are located in the following regions in Allegheny County: Homewood, Hill District, North Side, and the Mon Valley.

The Opportunity Broker Program

Our Opportunity Brokers play a vital role in expanding what participants believe is possible for their lives. Every community has a different “pulse,” and our brokers adapt to each area to meet people where they are. They:

Build relationships throughout the community

Serve as trusted resources

Connect individuals to organizations aligned with their needs

Help participants broaden their imagination and discover new opportunities

How Our Opportunity Brokers Can Help

Our Opportunity Brokers assist clients seeking employment by:

Providing improved access to job readiness, training, and/or employment.
Helping the client through their career progression by explaining and navigating promotions, hiring, raises, changes from less to more relevant fields, entrepreneurial ventures and growth, and leadership positions.
Utilize motivational interviewing to assess clients’ needs and work with them to access resources to remove barriers to help them succeed.
Helping clients gain and maintain employment through actions like obtaining a driver’s license and a vehicle.

Our Partnership with the Pittsburgh Job Corps

The Pittsburgh Job Corps is a key partner in our mission to expand opportunities for young adults in our region. We were honored when Pittsburgh’s First Lady, Michelle Gainey, invited our team and clients to a Pittsburgh Job Corps open house. The visit offered a firsthand look at their hands-on training programs and strengthened the connection between our organizations as we work together to support career pathways for local residents.