UPJ, Our Community and the Johnstown Way, Part II
By Jem Spectar, President of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
For its part, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is working closely with many community partners to realize the promise of Future Ready, at our downtown center in the former Jupiter Building.
In consultation with industry partners, UPJ is developing new, industry-focused instructional programs to spur innovation, foster entrepreneurial collaboration, and build workforce readiness in high-demand areas, including advanced manufacturing.
Despite the many hurdles we still face in bringing this project to fruition, we have made significant progress thanks to all our community partners and colleagues at Pittsburgh Gateways. Ongoing discussions among several UPJ faculty and industry partners are also laying the foundation for programs that will provide up-skilling in advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.
Potential industry partners from companies such as Aerium, Mission Critical Solutions and JWF Industries have provided valuable guidance that continues to shape the evolving programs.
A key goal of these collaborations is to help students acquire practical skills and hands-on experience to complement classroom learning and better prepare them for a highly competitive workforce.
These collaborations with community partners are both timely and necessary in a changing landscape. There is urgency: more Americans than ever are questioning the value of a traditional college education.
One NBC poll finds that two-thirds of registered voters believe college learning is not worth the cost, and many young people are opting out entirely in favor of other alternatives. Thankfully, UPJ has been ahead of the curve by combining broad-based foundational learning to develop critical thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving skills, with a focus on practical, hands-on experiences, internships, and industry certifications.
Meanwhile, rapid advances in artificial intelligence and its potential impacts also underscore the need for new thinking, including innovative ways to improve workforce readiness.
Incidentally, about a decade ago, my colleague Professor Ray Wrabley and I warned about the impending threat of increased automation and the potential for artificial intelligence to displace many workers in an op-ed in this paper titled, "In Defense of Johnstown." That somewhat distant future back then is here.
In the coming year, institutions will need to ramp up efforts to help students acquire key AI proficiencies, including through industry collaborations, to enable them to compete more effectively in a dynamic, challenging environment.
Going forward, working together with our community and rowing in the same direction is invaluable.
During a University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics forum, state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger noted that he was impressed by what he sensed was a strong collaborative leadership approach in Johnstown.
He observed that bringing people from different sectors together to develop a shared vision and move in the same direction is a significant advantage for communities seeking to turn things around in economic revitalization.
Likewise, at a meeting between Johnstown community leaders and the President of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve, it was clear that a key catalyst for economic renewal is effective collaboration among educational institutions such as Pitt-Johnstown and PHCC, as well as our partners in the business, industry and non-profit sectors.
We at UPJ are grateful for the broad-based engagement and support of all members of our resilient community, including those who work with our talented faculty and dedicated staff to connect students with practical experiences, internships and apprenticeships. Thank you.
We are also especially grateful for all our alumni, friends, and supporters, including our local and state government and legislative leaders, whose unwavering support year after year ensure state funding that enables Pitt to provide world-class educational opportunities that unleash human potential and turbo-charge economic development and social mobility in the Commonwealth.
You are all a key reason for our students' successes and for the stellar institutional distinctions we celebrate.
Yet, notwithstanding our past successes against the odds, UPJ and our community cannot rest on our laurels. And, we certainly have our work cut out for us – what with looming social, economic and technological disruptions, including the mind-warping possibilities and paradigm shifts wrought by Artificial Generative Intelligence; the vexing chasm of political polarization and its system-destabilizing potential; the increasing syndrome of social disconnectedness, anxiety, and rising pessimism about the future, to name a few.
Come what may, let us stand together in solidarity – unafraid, unbowed, unconquerable (echoing the spirit of William Ernest Henley's "Invictus"). Let us go forth together, surefooted, with that steady-as-she-goes approach to the ebb and flow of life reminiscent of the steely stoicism of ancient Greek philosophers. Let us press on with even more tenacity, full of mettle and moxie, with that indomitable spirit that our legendary wrestling Coach Pat Pecora so ably personified.
That is the Johnstown way.
Happy New Year!
Read the Tribune Democrat Article Here: https://www.tribdem.com/news/jem-spectar-upj-our-community-and-the-johnstown-way/article_8001c14d-47e3-474a-ad25-f5d0bd4d28d6.html