Southeast Allegheny News

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On May 18, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) celebrated the Pittsburgh region’s designation as a White House Workforce Hub. These investments will grow opportunities for the entire region of Western Pennsylvania, including the people of Allegheny and Beaver County represented by Congressman Deluzio. This new White House initiative is part of a cross-agency, collaborative effort by President Biden’s Administration to ensure businesses can fill and Americans can access the good jobs created by legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.  

“For too long, the forces of globalization plotted to strip Western Pennsylvania for parts: solid, union jobs were shipped overseas to save a few bucks and communities back home suffered,” said Rep. Deluzio. "Growing up, there were too few opportunities here at home that encouraged young people to stay. It's time to ensure that young Yinzers see a bright future in Western PA. A top priority of mine is to grow good, union jobs and to manufacture more stuff in America, and to succeed in that effort, we must have workers ready and waiting to do the jobs. I am thrilled that the White House has designated Pittsburgh as a Workforce Hub and believe that it will help spread greater, shared prosperity across our community. Western Pennsylvania can, and will, once again lead the way in American manufacturing. This announcement is an important step forward.” 

Legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are catalyzing public- and private-sector investments across the nation—including significant concentrations in key cities and regions. Workforce Hubs like the soon-to-be-one in Pittsburgh will center on partnerships with state and local officials, employers, unions, community colleges, high schools, and other stakeholders to nurture a diverse and skilled workforce that can meet the demand for labor driven by these investments. Pittsburgh is one of the first five focus regions for Workforce Hubs, and the program will launch summer 2023. The other four are Phoenix, Columbus, Baltimore, and Augusta. These Hubs will not only strengthen the workforce and local economy in the five regions—but they will also create models for workforce development to use with partners across the country. 

The Pittsburgh region was selected as a hub, in part, because it is home to many world-class universities. It is also a place that connects innovation across critical sectors and shows a strong growth and experience in advanced manufacturing such as robotics, biomanufacturing, clean energy, and batteries. The growth of these industries—along with significant, targeted investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in transportation, water infrastructure, and more—will continue to drive significant demand for talent.

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