2020-2030 Next is Now

A 10-Year Vision of Vitality for the Pittsburgh Region Executive Summary

Major Findings:

The 2020-2030 Next is Now report began in the year 2019 when the Allegheny Conference reached its 75^th anniversary. This milestone was celebrated by beginning a 10-year initiative to shape the Pittsburgh region's ten counties for the future. The first step in this process was to reach out to over 1,000 stakeholders across the region to learn their thoughts on what will make for a more robust and thriving community. A 35-member steering committee hosted three regional sessions across the Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland counties then concluded with a 1,000+ person summit in downtown Pittsburgh the Summer before the Covid- 19 pandemic. 34% of those participants were born and raised in the Pittsburgh region, 27% left the region and returned to stay, and 37% moved to the region from other places due to work, family, education, etc.

The summit's findings were categorized into three overarching areas of success, culminating in the anticipated increased vitality of the region overall.

1. Thriving People
2. Quality of Place
3. A Strong Inclusive Economy

A thriving people consists of "better access to quality education (K-12 and collegiate- level), robust career pathways and ample job opportunities that provide greater economic prosperity, resiliency and the ability to create a life they love" (Allegheny Conference, p 4). The vision for quality of place includes greater connectivity among communities, neighborhoods and a healthy natural, cultural, or built environment. Lastly, a solid inclusive economy is outlined as one which includes diverse industries, abundant innovation assets to open pathways for residents and students, and to create more robust ecosystems across all sectors of the economy (pg.4). Point Park can contribute to each sector of this 10-year plan moving forward in a multitude of ways.

Implications for Point Park:

Point Park has the opportunity to play a significant role in the Allegheny Conference restructuring of the Pittsburgh region. Perhaps the most apparent contribution the University can offer is the first leg of the initiative, thriving people, and a direct correlation between the education system and the citizens of the Pittsburgh region. One of the strategies outlined in the report regarding a stronger connection to education is described as "aligning talent and business investment strategies by partnering with the business and academic communities to retain more of our college graduates and expand the availability of talent." The Pittsburgh region succeeds at producing successful college graduates but struggles to retain the talent it creates in order to bolster the community. Point Park aims to accomplish this initiative by branding itself as a career-ready institution. A strength of the University has always been its downtown urban location, connecting the students to a multitude of career opportunities, co-ops, internships, and the ability to shape the downtown landscape.

The report details a more robust economic strategy: "developing initiatives to increase the pool of local talent; promote the creation of well-paying jobs; equip businesses and communities with the tools to fulfill their workforce needs and foster an inclusive culture." This strategy aligns with the University's mission statement in many ways. Point Park strives to utilize experiential learning to equip students with the ability to work and thrive while leading meaningful lives as successful professionals.

Implications for Higher Education Moving Forward:

The Pittsburgh region's 10-year plan contains a deep connection to higher education with a focus on retaining college graduate talent to inject back into the community. This is a direct reflection of the changing culture where students expect to utilize their degree(s) in meaningful ways. Higher education is moving away from an understanding that is merely acquiring a degree is enough to land you a job that will support you and allow for a successful future. Students want to spend their time, energy, and money earning a degree that allows them to build a sustainable future where they can utilize their learned skills in a job that makes sense for them and their community. Point Park is helping to place students directly in their fields, doing the work they spent years cultivating.