The vocational system in Allegheny County was conceived by Dr. Alfred Beattie, Superintendent of Allegheny County Schools in 1961.  At that time, funding from the federal government under the Manpower Development Act was available to create vocational training facilities for adults. Forbes Trail, which was the first vocational school in the county, opened in Penn Hills School in 1961 and was later moved to an industrial park near Monroeville.

Vocational education in the western part of Allegheny County began with a Machine Shop course at North Braddock High School, however, the class only lasted one night before being moved to Schwab School in Homestead. The teachers at North Braddock and Schwab Schools were Lou Penisi and Frank Sanns.

In 1964 the program was moved to the former Pullman Garden Center on Campbells Run Road in Oakdale, The Machine Shop was outfitted with war surplus machinery donated by the federal government. Since there was a greenhouse available at the location, a horticulture program was also initiated. Machine Shop teachers at the Campbells Run location were Roy Brammel, Jerry Miller, and Frank Sanns. Charles Ifft, Tony Rich, and Ben Smith taught horticulture.

Dr. Saul Danovitz became the Director of Area Vocational Schools in Allegheny County, and John Garlick, a plumbing teacher in the Pittsburgh Schools System, was hired as the first director of Parkway West School. 

As the school outgrew the facilities on Campbell’s Run Road, plans for a new school building were developed. After considerable deliberation, a 58-acre site on Old Steubenville Pike was selected. The former farm property was surrounded by rolling hills and included orchards and Deep Valley Lake. 

Construction on the new building started in 1966. In September of 1968 the Beth-El Congregation (church) of South Hills was used to house classes while construction on the new building was being completed. the first classes moved into the partially completed structure in October 1968. Initial enrollment was 820 students from both public and parochial schools. In 1970, Frank Sanns became the first Assistant Director of Parkway West School. In 1971, Forbes Trail AVTS under the direction of Archie McSperrin, and Parkway West AVTS under the direction of John Garlick, seceded from Allegheny Intermediate Unit.