May 4, 2014 3 min read

I am forever saying that I love my job, and my heart hurts for anyone out there who doesn’t like his or her job.

Every day, I get to go to the office and work with local business owners and farmers about ways to help make the Fayette County economy more self-sustaining and better for everyone who lives here.

Talking to people and forming relationships — whether they are business or personal in nature — is one of my most favorite things to do. When I was a newspaper and magazine writer, that was the best part — the interviews. It’s always nice to just sit and listen to people tell their stories, the good and even the not-so good. I had the chance to talk and listen to some awesome people the other day.

Fay-Penn Workforce Development Specialist Thomas Cramer and I represented Fay-Penn at the Fayette Career and Technical Institute Career Fair last week. In the morning, I had the chance to talk to students from all of the different fields of study offered at the school. We got to see the next generation of the workforce, and these young people are ready to go.

My hat goes off to the faculty and staff of the school because they are doing an excellent job at not only preparing these students for future careers but also preparing them for interviews and the basic act of asking questions, shaking hands and engaging in meaningful conversations with others. The Workforce Development initiative at Fay-Penn is helping to bridge the gap between schools and local employers. Fay-Penn has established a partnership with the Fayette Chamber of Commerce to create the Fayette Business Education Partnership whose goal is to bring an educated workforce into our economy. They are trying to identify the needs of local employers and what type of curriculum our students need to be qualified for these jobs in our area.

It’s exciting to see the young people in our area looking for local work and really taking pride and ownership of what they are doing. If you would like more information about the workforce development initiative and Fay-Penn projects send me an email at loris@faypenn.org. Fay-Penn also has a newsletter that is emailed monthly detailing local economic development projects. Let me know if you would like t be added to the email list.

Lori Scott is the Sustainable Communities Specialist for Fay-Penn Economic Development Council. She can be reached at loris@faypenn.org or 724-437-7913.