THE WE THE PEOPLE 5-YEAR

JOBS & EDUCATION PLAN

5,000 PERMANENT JOBS. EXPANDED EDUCATION. STRONGER MAIN STREETS. NO DATA CENTERS.

Fayette County needs an economic strategy that connects jobs, education, small businesses, infrastructure and quality of life.
My five-year goal is to help Fayette County achieve 5,000 net new permanent private-sector jobs while expanding local postsecondary education and career training.
Five thousand jobs is the goal. It is not a claim that 5,000 jobs have already been committed.

5,000

NET NEW PERMANENT JOBS

12+

EDUCATION & CAREER PATHWAYS

100

COMMERCIAL SPACES BACK IN USE

0

DATA-CENTER JOBS COUNTED

TWO GOALS. ONE PLAN.

CREATE JOBS AND PREPARE PEOPLE TO FILL THEM

Bringing employers to Fayette County is only half of the equation. We also need to make sure residents have access to the education, credentials and career pathways needed to compete for those jobs.

The plan connects employer recruitment with postsecondary education, nursing, skilled trades, apprenticeships, small-business growth, Main Street revitalization and quality-of-life investments.

EDUCATION FIRST

KEEP POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION IN FAYETTE COUNTY

Penn State has approved the closure of Penn State Fayette at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Fayette County should respond by pursuing more local education and career pathways, not simply accepting fewer opportunities.
I have already begun preliminary discussions with an education provider about preserving and potentially expanding local postsecondary and nursing-related opportunities.
Those discussions are preliminary. There is no finalized agreement, and I do not currently have authority to commit county property, taxpayer money or county resources.

KEEP NURSING EDUCATION LOCAL

Pursue practical nursing, registered-nursing pathways, bridge programs, prerequisites, patient-care training, paramedic education and other healthcare pathways where qualified providers, approvals and clinical partners support them.

A MULTI-PROVIDER EDUCATION HUB

Bring colleges, technical schools, healthcare educators, apprenticeship sponsors, employers, school districts and workforce organizations together. The goal is not a county-owned college. The goal is more local access.

EDUCATION BEFORE REAL ESTATE

Determine what programs residents and employers need before making a major building commitment. Any facility decision should follow inspections, operating-cost estimates, enrollment projections and provider commitments.

12+ PATHWAYS

BUILD A BROADER EDUCATION PIPELINE

The five-year target is at least 12 new or substantially expanded postsecondary, technical, apprenticeship or career pathways.
Programs should be added based on student demand, employer demand, provider capacity, accreditation and a sustainable operating plan.

HEALTHCARE

Nursing • EMS • Respiratory & allied health • Healthcare support • Continuing education

SKILLED TRADES

Welding • Electrical • HVAC • Construction trades • Industrial maintenance

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Machining • Mechatronics • Automation • Fabrication • Quality control

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Accounting • Business operations • Logistics • IT support • Entrepreneurship

COLLEGE PATHWAYS

General education • Transferable courses • Associate pathways • Degree-completion partnerships

ADULT & CAREER EDUCATION

High-school equivalency • Short-term credentials • Career retraining • Stackable certifications

TRAIN FOR REAL JOBS

JOB → SKILLS → TRAINING → EMPLOYMENT

Training should follow real workforce demand. Before launching an employment-focused program, the partners should identify which employers need workers, how many positions are expected, what those jobs pay, what skills and credentials are required,
and whether employers will participate in training, apprenticeships or hiring.
Pennsylvania’s Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career program is specifically designed to help eligible organizations identify and train workers for existing or near-future manufacturing openings. Program information.

EARN WHILE YOU LEARN

Expand registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, employer training and other earn-while-you-learn pathways where qualified sponsors and employers are ready to participate.

HIGH SCHOOL TO CAREER

Strengthen dual enrollment, career exploration, internships, technical education and pre-apprenticeship opportunities so students can see a local pathway before they graduate.

ADULTS DESERVE A PATH TOO

Support evening, weekend, hybrid and short-term programs where practical so working adults can retrain or advance without putting their lives on hold.

REMOVE THE BARRIERS

OFFERING A CLASS IS NOT ENOUGH

Education partnerships should also examine the barriers that prevent people from completing programs:
transportation, childcare, scheduling, tuition, books and equipment, internet access, clinical placements, apprenticeship placements and academic preparation.

County government cannot solve every barrier itself. It can help bring the organizations already working on these problems to the same table and identify gaps.

THE 5,000-JOB STRATEGY

BUILD A PIPELINE BIGGER THAN THE GOAL

To pursue 5,000 net new permanent private-sector jobs, the county should maintain a broader project pipeline because some projects will be delayed, reduced or never happen.
The planning target below is a portfolio framework, not a forecast or list of committed employers.

2,500

FROM MAJOR NEW EMPLOYERS

1,250

Jobs from existing Fayette County business expansions

500

JOBS FROM HEALTHCARE & RELATED SERVICES

500

JOBS FROM SUPPLIERS & MIDSIZED BUSINESSES

650

JOBS FROM SMALL BUSINESS & MAIN STREET

400

JOBS FROM TOURISM, HOSPITALITY & ENTERTAINMENT

6,000 POTENTIAL GROSS JOB ADDITIONS

The public goal remains 5,000 net new permanent jobs. The larger pipeline provides room for projects that fall short and for employment losses elsewhere.
Every job counted toward the goal would be a new, ongoing private-sector position located in Fayette County and actually filled.

MAJOR EMPLOYERS

PURSUE EMPLOYMENT-INTENSIVE PROJECTS

Recruit employers capable of creating 100, 200, 300 or more permanent jobs, while still considering strong smaller projects on their merits.
Priority sectors to investigate include manufacturing, industrial equipment, food production and packaging, medical products, healthcare-related operations, selected logistics and professional operations.
No data centers are part of the 5,000-job strategy.

MANUFACTURING

Fabricated metal products, machinery, electrical equipment, building products, industrial components and other production operations.

HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL

Healthcare expansions, medical products, support operations and related employers that align with local education and workforce capacity.

FOOD & INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS

Food production, processing, packaging and other facilities where water, wastewater, transportation, environmental and workforce requirements can be met.

FAYETTE READY SITES

BE READY BEFORE THE EMPLOYER CALLS

Identify at least five priority employment locations and document ownership, availability, permitted uses, environmental conditions, water and sewer capacity, electricity, natural gas where relevant, broadband, road access,
rail where relevant, site-preparation costs and realistic development timelines. Pennsylvania’s PA SITES program provides planning grants and construction grants or loans for eligible competitive-site projects.
Effective October 1, 2026, interested applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent under the updated process.

GROW WHAT IS ALREADY HERE

PUT EXISTING FAYETTE COUNTY BUSINESSES IN THE PLAN

The five-year planning target is 1,250 new jobs from existing-employer expansions.
Conduct structured business-retention and expansion visits focused on what is preventing an employer from adding workers, space, equipment or another shift.
Small employers should have clear access to financing information, grant programs, workforce assistance, commercial property information,
procurement opportunities, training resources and the right permitting contacts without needing political connections.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

What prevents you from hiring? What prevents expansion? Do you need space, infrastructure, training, financing or help finding workers?

MAKE A NEXT-STEP PLAN

Every serious business visit should end with a documented next step, responsible partner and timeline instead of becoming another meeting with no follow-through.

HELP WITH SUCCESSION

Connect viable businesses whose owners are ready to retire with succession resources so jobs and locally owned companies are not lost unnecessarily.

MAIN STREET

BRING VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACE BACK TO LIFE

The five-year target is to help return 100 vacant or substantially underused commercial spaces to productive use while tracking whether businesses remain open and whether overall vacancy actually declines. Potential work includes building rehabilitation,
façade improvements, accessibility, code work, upper-floor reuse, business recruitment, pop-ups, shared commercial space and small-business financing.
Pennsylvania’s Main Street Matters program supports eligible revitalization activities including planning, business support, façade programs and district development. Program information.

UNIONTOWN

Work with willing property owners, businesses and municipal partners on concentrated commercial-corridor projects that can create sustained occupancy.

CONNELLSVILLE

Use the same published criteria: project readiness, private investment, building condition, community support and the ability to sustain the improvement.

BROWNSVILLE & OTHER COMMUNITIES

Invite municipalities throughout Fayette County to participate under clear standards rather than making downtown investment a political competition.

FAYETTE AFTER FIVE

MORE REASONS TO STAY, SPEND AND ENJOY LIFE HERE

A stronger economy should also give residents more choices for a date night, family outing or evening with friends.
Pursue financially viable private investment in a modern cinema or movie-tavern concept, bowling and arcade entertainment, indoor recreation, restaurants, coffee and dessert businesses, live entertainment and other family-friendly attractions.
Government should not operate these businesses or guarantee their losses. The appropriate role is helping viable operators identify sites, navigate processes and connect with legitimate development resources.

YOUNG PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TOO

EXPAND TEEN RECREATION AND OPPORTUNITY

Pursue a professionally designed skatepark or substantial improvement to an existing facility where the site and financing make sense.
Expand affordable evening recreation, gaming and technology programs, music and arts, maker programs, internships, youth employment and other activities through qualified public, nonprofit and private partners.
Young people should be involved in designing programs intended for them.

LOCAL SUPPLIERS

MAKE ONE MAJOR PROJECT CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITY

When a major employer comes to Fayette County, qualified local companies should have an opportunity to compete for work in machining, welding, trucking, electrical work, maintenance, construction, catering,
cleaning, accounting, security, landscaping, printing and professional services.
A supplier job would only be counted toward the 5,000-job goal when it is independently verified as a new permanent position. Supplier opportunities are not automatically counted as jobs.

INFRASTRUCTURE

THE JOBS FOLLOW THE BASICS

Employers need functional roads, safe bridges, water and sewer capacity, reliable electricity, broadband, transportation access and land or buildings that can support development.
Infrastructure priorities should address real public needs while also removing verified barriers to employment growth.

Before a major economic-development infrastructure project proceeds, ask:
What problem does it solve? What is the total cost?
What outside funding is actually awarded?
Who maintains it?
Would the improvement still benefit residents if a particular employer never comes?

FUNDING

GO AFTER OUTSIDE MONEY — BUT DO NOT COUNT IT BEFORE IT IS AWARDED

The plan should aggressively pursue eligible state, federal, nonprofit, philanthropic and private funding.
But a grant application is not money in the bank.
Before a project begins, taxpayers should be able to see the total cost, private investment, grants actually awarded, county contribution, municipal contribution,
debt if any, annual operating cost and who pays for maintenance.

THE FIVE-YEAR ROADMAP

SET AN ANNUAL JOB TARGET AND REPORT THE RESULTS

These are performance targets, not predictions. Projects should receive credit only when the jobs are actually filled under the plan’s counting rules.

YEAR 1 — 250

Cumulative: 250

Set the baseline. Complete site and business inventories. Advance education-provider discussions. Identify nursing and workforce pathways. Launch targeted recruitment and Main Street projects.

YEAR 2 — 750

Cumulative: 1,000

Launch additional education programs. Expand apprenticeship efforts. Advance employer openings, funded site work and first commercial-space projects.

YEAR 3 — 1,250

Cumulative: 2,250

Scale successful programs. Bring more major-employer and existing-business expansions into operation. Increase supplier and Main Street activity.

YEAR 4 — 1,500

Cumulative: 3,750

Pursue the strongest hiring year across major projects, existing employers, healthcare, suppliers and small businesses.

YEAR 5 — 1,250

Cumulative: 5,000

Complete projects already underway, verify sustained employment, publish education outcomes and report the five-year results.

PUBLIC SCOREBOARD

COUNT RESULTS — NOT PRESS RELEASES

The public should be able to see whether the plan is working before the next election. Publish a quarterly dashboard separating announced commitments from jobs actually filled and showing the cost of the work.

JOBS

Permanent jobs filled • Jobs committed • Jobs lost • Net new jobs • Full-time vs. part-time • Data-center jobs counted: 0

EDUCATION

Programs operating • Students enrolled • Completers • Nursing and healthcare students • Apprentices • Credentials • Employment outcomes

BUSINESS

Existing-business expansions • New businesses • Business-retention projects • Private investment • Local supplier opportunities

MAIN STREET

Commercial spaces returned to use • 12- and 24-month survival • Overall vacancy • Private rehabilitation investment

TAXPAYER ACCOUNTABILITY

County dollars spent • Grants awarded • Loans • Private investment • Operating obligations • Infrastructure costs

THE STANDARD

Not jobs announced. Jobs filled.
Not grants applied for. Grants awarded.
Not programs promised. Students completing them.

5,000 JOBS. 5 YEARS. MORE EDUCATION. ZERO DATA-CENTER JOBS COUNTED.

This plan is about creating more opportunity for the people who already call Fayette County home and making the county a stronger place for employers, students, families and small businesses to build their future.
The standard is simple: measurable results, honest accounting and no promises counted before they are delivered.