“I am proud to announce the commitment of $2 million to the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown,” Governor Tom Wolf announced Friday.
A grant awarded to UPJ will advance the chemical engineering program. It will help to move Johnstown forward.
“The American dream is alive in the Laurel Highlands,” Representative Bryan Barbin said at the announcement Friday.
“This for us is making a contribution to strengthen our local economy by ensuring that our workforce is competitive,” Dr. Jem Spectar, UPJ president, added.
It will also benefit all of Pennsylvania, according to Wolf.
“One of the things Pennsylvania is facing now in the western part of the state starting with Pittsburgh with the Shell Cracker Plant and moving east is a shortage of skills.”
Chemical engineering is important for the energy industry. Wolf said their hope is to provide folks with skills to fulfill Pennsylvania’s needs. The question is no longer where are the jobs, but is Pennsylvania going to be able to meet the demand?
“The things we need to do is make sure the young people who are looking for skills and coming to places like UPJ actually get to learn skills.”
The grant comes as an extension of UPJ’s engineering program that was launched last year. The money will be used to develop chemical engineering labs, classroom, and other technology needs.
