It is well documented that energy companies in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio struggle to find applicants qualified to fill skilled jobs.
Now the Chevron Corporation has announced the Appalachia Partnership Initiative, a $20 million effort designed to address education and workforce development in 27 counties in the three states. Launched in coordination with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the RAND Corporation, the initiative aims to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and technical training to help growing regional energy and manufacturing industries fill thousands of new jobs.
The initiative is the culmination of a planning process Chevron engaged in with local partners, business and community leaders, and educators to identify regional needs and priorities. A 2012 workforce analysis by the Allegheny Conference documented the impact of the skills gap in the local workforce, especially in STEM fields.
“We know that an educated and skilled workforce leads to economic growth — for our business, our partners and the communities where we operate,” says Nigel Hearne, president of Chevron Appalachia. “Our success is deeply linked to the region's progress, and we believe the Appalachia Partnership Initiative will act as a catalyst for social investment that addresses workforce development and helps to build a new energy economy that creates jobs and economic development opportunities across the region.”
The Appalachia Partnership Initiative includes an expansion of Project Lead the Way, focused on STEM programs in K-12 schools, and ShaleNET, a workforce training program for the oil and natural gas industries. In addition, it will develop an Energy Lab in Allegheny County and Bethlehem Center school districts to teach middle school students about a variety of energy resources in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center.
Source: Chevron Corporation
Writer: Elise Vider