Pittsburgh picked as Workforce Hub by White House to increase job training initiatives

The White House this week designated Pittsburgh as a regional hub to enhance local workforce development efforts.

Pittsburgh was selected as one of five regions selected as a Workforce Hub, where the White House administration will partner with state and local officials to drive workforce development efforts and help to secure additional funding to expand pre-apprenticeships and career and technical education programs.

Southwestern Pennsylvania was selected because of success in innovation, growth in advanced manufacturing like robotics and increase in the clean energy sector, such as producing batteries, said the White House.

“The surrounding region of Southwestern Pennsylvania — a priority Energy Community that includes Pittsburgh — was awarded a Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant to expand the region’s growing robotics cluster and ensure the benefits extend to rural coal-impacted communities in the region,” said the White House in a release.

The other Workplace Hubs include Phoenix, Columbus, Baltimore and Augusta, Ga. Funding for the initiatives is being pulled from federal legislation, most prominently the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $369 billion for energy security and climate change efforts.

Pennsylvania Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Nancy Walker praised Pittsburgh’s designation and said it aligns with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration’s efforts in building up the region’s manufacturing industry, including an $81 million investment in a manufacturing operation in New Kensington and Arnold.

She said Pittsburgh already is a hub for educational and job training programs in fields such as robotics and clean energy, and this designation will only boost those efforts.

“This investment not only provides Pennsylvania students and workers with the support and resources needed to succeed in today’s labor market, but serves as a model for developing a diverse, highly skilled workforce in Pennsylvania,” Walker said.

As part of this declaration, the Shapiro administration said it will work closely with the White House and local officials, unions, community colleges, high schools and other stakeholders to build the workforce.