Displaced coal workers and union electricians will soon be retrained to help build AI data centers and other technological infrastructure through an initiative led by Pitt researchers.<\/p>\n
Led by Pitt\u2019s Swanson School of Engineering<\/a> and Robert Morris University,<\/a> a new three-year project dubbed the Pittsburgh Laser Engine<\/a> will aim to prepare displaced coal workers and electricians for advanced manufacturing jobs in the age of AI. Funded by a $1.62 million grant from Appalachian Regional Commission<\/a> and targeting rural communities in the counties of Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland, Pitt will work closely with RMU and its industry partners to develop a hands-on vocational training program for the workers.<\/p>\n Kevin Chen, the Paul E. Lego Professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering<\/a>, said his research team conducted community outreach and discovered a \u201ccommon desire\u201d to revitalize manufacturing in the greater Pittsburgh region.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw a lot of unemployed people who desired to work really hard to support their families and couldn\u2019t find the appropriate opportunity,\u201d Chen said. \u201cThat [has] motivated us to develop this workforce development program.\u201d<\/p>\n The program will equip coal workers with advanced laser processing skills and train union electricians in fiber-optic sensing<\/a> for AI data centers and critical infrastructure. Fiber-optic sensing is a technology that equips glass strands, or fiber, with physical sensors that can detect issues like overheating, signal loss or high pressure.<\/p>\n According to Chen, these skills are required for more in-demand, high-paying manufacturing roles, such as a laser technician<\/a>, which is someone who specializes in the operation and maintenance of laser equipment.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey already have a certain skillset, so we basically give them the advanced laser tool to enable them to make a career transition,\u201d Chen said. \u201cFor example, laser surface processing<\/a> that improves the surface quality of metal coating.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the Swanson School\u2019s announcement of the grant, participants in the project will learn to use tools like high-power fiber and pulsed lasers, and apply laser welding, surface treatment and precision drilling.<\/p>\n As Pittsburgh continues to develop AI infrastructure<\/a>, which includes the hardware, software and network components AI systems rely on, there is a new need for workers who are skilled in technologically-advanced manufacturing to help build and maintain that infrastructure, Chen said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lisa Adams, deputy executive director of United Mine Workers of America Career Centers<\/a>, a nonprofit workforce development organization in Greene County that is a partner in the project, said dislocated coal workers<\/a> and displaced energy workers<\/a> need to learn new skills as traditional practices in their fields become outdated.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhile traditional mechanical skills<\/a> remain a strong baseline, legacy mining equipment and traditional industrial maintenance skills are becoming outdated as industries transition toward automated systems<\/a>,\u201d Adams said. \u201cUnderground skills must be retooled for above ground jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Adams said equipping these workers to transition their skills into next-generation industrial manufacturing is key to revitalizing the economies of local rural communities.<\/p>\n \u201cThis program equips workers in Appalachia with specialized, highly technical competencies in laser applications that set them apart in the regional labor market,\u201d Adams said. \u201cBy retaining top technical talent locally and establishing a modern skilled workforce, the project helps attract high-tech employers to the region, driving long-term economic resilience across former coal communities.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Chen, rural communities have become economically depressed<\/a> due to the national decline in manufacturing jobs<\/a>, but there is strong potential for the greater Pittsburgh region to become a hub for technologically-advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n \u201cPittsburgh has a lot of smaller companies that are less well-known but very critical,\u201d Chen said. \u201cThere\u2019s a Pittsburgh company making piping structures for national shipbuilders, something that is much less known for this region but provides an important service to the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Chen said RMU\u2019s industrial engineering program<\/a> offers resources that aren\u2019t always available at Pitt, making them ideal partners.<\/p>\n