Pittsburgh Conservation Corps d/b/a Landforce

Building Opportunity. Restoring the Environment.

At Landforce, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to build a meaningful career and live in a healthy, green community.

Our mission is to nourish a culture of self-empowerment for people aspiring toward meaningful and stable employment while protecting and improving the environment.

Our vision is a just world where everyone belongs, lives in a healthy environment, and has the opportunity to surpass their greatest dreams.

What We Do

Landforce is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit social enterprise that combines workforce development, environmental stewardship, and the circular economy through wood waste caure. This creates a lasting impact for people and communities.

We hire, train, and support individuals who have faced barriers to family-sustaining employment. Through paid transitional jobs, hands-on training, industry-recognized certifications, and personalized career coaching, Crew Members gain the skills, experience, and confidence needed to succeed in the workforce.

At the same time, they are restoring natural spaces, improving community assets, and helping build a more sustainable region. Over the last year, Landforce has also opened its urban saw mill where we are using logs recovered from fallen trees to mill into lumber for resale or (soon) biochar for soil remediation.

Investing in People and Place

For nearly a decade, Landforce has been creating opportunities for people while caring for the land and having lasting environmental impact. Every project strengthens both our workforce and our environment, demonstrating that economic opportunity and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

Our Impact

Since 2016, Landforce has:

Trained and employed 228 Crew Members;

Provided more than 90,000 hours of environmental stewardship;

Delivered 34,533 hours of workforce training and 2,776 hours of career coaching;

Completed more than 200 environmental stewardship projects in historically disinvested communities.

Since opening our mill doors, we have already collected 187 logs. These logs alone will ultimately result in nearly 30,000 board feet of lumber, capturing approximately 71 metric tons of carbon dioxide locked away in long-lived wood products. This is about the same climate benefit as taking 15 cars off the road for an entire year.

As a result of the experiences they get at Landforce and the hard work they put into their next steps, 4 out of 5 of our graduates are employed within 2 weeks of their departure from Landforce, 4 out of 5 remain employed 12 months later, and by 12 months earn an average wage of $25 per hour. 

Testimonials

Crew Members:

"Stay dedicated. Don't give up on your dreams, and don't let a felony keep you from becoming the best version of yourself."
— T

"Landforce has all the tools people need to be successful. It's up to each person to use those tools, but if you do, there's no limit to what you can achieve."
— D

"I stayed focused, worked hard, followed my trainers' guidance, and trusted the process. I'm really grateful for the opportunity."
— D. M.

Project Partners:

"If you have the opportunity to work with Landforce, do it! Not only were they communicative and flexible with their scheduling, but they were also accommodating when bumps in the road occurred, and additional services were needed on our affordable rehab project in Homewood. We are so thankful to have them as a community partner here in the Homewood area." - GD, Catapult of Greater Pittsburgh

“Friends of South Side Park is grateful for all the work Landforce has accomplished in the park over the past five or six years. From building a much-needed bridge to improving our trails, we are grateful for their partnership and good work.” - KV, Friends of South Side Park