CTI's growth has earned it the Fayette County PR Initiative's Faces & Places Designation for January 2023.
Uniontown, PA – Education is a cornerstone of society. And the right education can help high school and post-secondary students chart a path through life that is both productive and fulfilling. For local students who are interested in learning a trade or technical skill, or who strive to work in the health industry, Fayette County Career and Technical Institute (CTI) in Uniontown is a valuable resource.
And thanks to a recent grant, that resource will be able to expand its offerings in 2023.
Fayette CTI recently received a $1.5 million grant to build a new 6,000-square foot health sciences workforce development center. Due to its expansion and the numerous educational services it offers to both high school and adult students, Fayette County CTI is being recognized as January’s Fayette Places and Places designee.
Fayette County CTI Executive Director Dr. Cynthia Shaw said the grant came about following talks with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). “It’s through ARC – the Appalachian Regional Commission,” she said. “We started talking to DCED about what we wanted to do here at the school to see if they would support us in applying for the grant.”
With DCED support, Shaw said they also needed to work with local leadership. “We talked with the commissioners. There was a lot of support through economic development and through the county for this program,” she said.
The proposed building will cost a total of $2,25,404, with Fayette County CTI contributing the $750,000 that remains after the grant. Shaw said the new building will be a workforce development center for the CTI’s adult nursing program.
“We determined there was a need in healthcare workers,” Shaw said. “It’s one of the biggest needs we have. We have an LPN department, but we’re crammed in there. We wanted to make a new space so we could have more post-secondary education.”
The curriculum will focus on the medical assistant, licensed practical nurse and surgical technician careers, Shaw said, though it may evolve depending on which careers become most in-demand.
“We’re going to work with a healthcare provider (WVU Medicine),” Shaw said, noting one of the program’s goals is for students to be able to earn credits that are transferable so that they can secure employment more quickly.
“They’ll be able to go to a post-secondary school and get advanced credits and get to work,” she said.
Fayette County CTI strives to prepare its students for the workforce as thoroughly as possible, no matter what the career field, Shaw said. For instance, students in the culinary program are getting hands-on experience in the restaurant industry by running their own eatery, called the CTI Grille, as well as a bakery, The Patisserie.
“It’s a student-run enterprise,” Shaw said. “Students will work with their teacher, but the teacher will support the students in running the business.” CTI Grille is open to the public and more information can be found on the Fayette County CTI Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fayettecti.
Shaw said work on the new health sciences building likely will begin in February or March, and she expects the project to be completed by approximately May 2024. She said improvements in the CTI’s healthcare curriculum have been ongoing for several years.
“We’ve been revamping our healthcare pathway for about five years now and are up to 150 students,” Shaw said. “We’re excited about the impact that can have for Fayette County.”
In addition to healthcare occupations and culinary arts, the Fayette County CTI offers multiple other programs including focus on the areas of agriculture, automotive, construction, cosmetology, and technology and manufacturing.
To learn more about the Fayette County CTI, visit www.fayettecti.org.
For more information about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.
Editor's Note: Photos attached (Fayette County CTI; Health Sciences; CTI Grille; The Patisserie)
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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.
For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, kkassimer@fayettecountypa.info or Jamie Rankin, Journalist, at 724-437-4571, jamierankin13@gmail.com.
