Panel 1: Voices from the Field - Energy Employers on Building the Workforce of Tomorrow 

9:45 a.m. - Event Center

This panel brings together HR directors and talent leaders from energy companies across the region to share a candid, on-the-ground view of the industry today. Panelists will discuss the evolving skill sets, credentials, and competencies they are hiring for now, the workforce gaps they anticipate as the energy sector transforms, and what a "ready" candidate looks like in 2026 and beyond. Attendees will leave with a clear picture of current hiring priorities and concrete ways educators, workforce partners, and community leaders can align their programs and pipelines to meet employer demand, helping ensure the region has the talent in place to support both today's energy workforce and tomorrow's.

Panel 2: From Research to Startup, How RETI Is Powering Energy Innovation 

10:45 a.m. - Event Center

The energy sector's challenges, from infrastructure modernization to emerging technologies, increasingly require solutions that don't yet exist. This panel explores how the RETI Engine is mobilizing university research to address the real-world problem sets facing energy employers today, and how that research is being translated into commercialization pathways and new startup ventures. Panelists will discuss how targeted, industry-informed research at regional universities is closing gaps for established energy companies while also seeding the next generation of energy enterprises, creating a pipeline of innovation, jobs, and economic opportunity that strengthens the region's competitive position in the energy economy.

Panel 1: Building the Advanced Nuclear Economy: Regional Collaboration in Workforce, Manufacturing and Energy 

9:45 a.m. - Amphitheater

How can regional collaboration attract jobs and strengthen participation in advanced nuclear manufacturing and construction? This panel introduces SMART - Small Modular and Advanced Reactor Training, a multi-state workforce development initiative, and the STAR (Shared Training Academic Reactor) program, a shared infrastructure initiative that expands access to nuclear training for K–12 students, community colleges, universities and skilled trades. The discussion will explore how educators, manufacturers, energy developers and economic development organizations can work together to build career pathways, connect training to industry needs and share resources. Participants will learn how their organizations can contribute to and benefit from these collaborative efforts.

Panel 2: Transforming Appalachia into a Hub for Modern Manufacturing 

10:45 a.m. - Amphitheater

The Ohio River Valley was a birthplace of the U.S. industrial revolution, where coal fueled the steel that built the nation’s prosperity. As manufacturing jobs moved offshore and energy markets shifted away from coal, the region found itself reeling. Yet our analysis shows that manufacturing still has deep roots here: North Central Appalachia outperforms the nation in 12 of 21 manufacturing subsectors, from metals to wood to plastics. This session presents ReImagine Appalachia’s interactive StoryMap using county-level data and a six-pillar ecosystem framework to show how the region’s industrial strengths, along with liabilities-turned-assets like shuttered coal plants and brownfields, can anchor a clean-economy manufacturing future with good jobs and thriving communities.

Innovation in Action - Conversations Shaping the Workforce of Tomorrow

45 Minutes | Interactive Breakout Rooms | Open Conversation Format

 The future of our regional workforce is being shaped by emerging technologies, innovative partnerships, and new approaches to education and workforce development. This interactive breakout experience invites attendees to engage directly with organizations leading exciting work across advanced manufacturing, energy, technology, and workforce innovation.

Rather than traditional presentations, participating organizations will host informal, small-group conversations focused on emerging opportunities, real-world challenges, and ideas that could shape the region's workforce future.

Attendees are encouraged to explore multiple topics throughout the 45-minute session, with suggested rotations every 15 minutes. However, meaningful conversations don't always follow a schedule! Participants are welcome to stay longer at any discussion that sparks their interest.

The Workforce They Want: A Conversation with Students 

1:00 p.m. - Event Center

What are students looking for as they consider their future careers—and what stands in the way of getting there?

This student-led panel brings the next generation of our regional workforce into The Work Ahead conversation. Students will share their perspectives on career opportunities, the factors that influence where they choose to work, and the barriers they face as they move from education into the workforce.

The conversation will explore what students value in an employer, how they learn about career opportunities, what makes them more likely to stay and build a career in the region, and where they need greater support or stronger connections to industry.

For employers, educators and workforce partners, this is an opportunity to listen directly to the people our workforce strategies are designed to serve—and consider how we can better connect emerging talent with the opportunities available across our region.

Future-Proofing the Pipeline: K-12 Pathways into Energy and Advanced Manufacturing 

1:30 p.m. - Event Center

The region's long-term economic prosperity depends on getting students excited about, and prepared for, careers in energy and advanced manufacturing well before they reach the workforce. This panel examines how K-12 efforts across West Virginia and Pennsylvania can build stronger pathways into postsecondary education and technical training. The stakes are significant: only 48% of West Virginia high school graduates and 58% of Pennsylvania graduates matriculate to postsecondary education, both lagging the national average of 61%. Closing that gap and directing more of those students toward energy and advanced manufacturing careers is imperative to securing a skilled talent pipeline and the region's long-term economic prosperity. Panelists will share innovative strategies for early exposure to build our workforce pipelines.

• Exhibitor table at the summit
• Organization listing on event materials
• Opportunity to engage with summit attendees throughout the day

• Exhibitor table at the summit
• Recognition as an Event Partner
• Logo recognition on the event website and select event materials
• Recognition during the summit

• All Event Partner benefits
• Enhanced logo placement on the event website and event materials
• Recognition in event communications
• Sponsor recognition during opening remarks
• Priority exhibitor placement

• All Supporting Sponsor benefits
• Recognition as a sponsor of either the Advanced Manufacturing Track or Energy Track
• Prominent logo placement associated with the sponsored track
• Recognition from the stage during track programming
• Opportunity to provide brief welcoming remarks during the sponsored track
• Prominent exhibitor placement
• Recognition in pre- and post-event communications

• Premier recognition as a Presenting Sponsor of The Work Ahead
• Most prominent sponsor logo placement on the event website, signage, and event materials
• Recognition alongside Westmoreland County Community College and the RETI Engine at West Virginia University in summit communications
• Recognition during opening and closing remarks
• Opportunity for a company representative to participate in opening remarks
• Premier exhibitor placement
• Featured recognition in pre- and post-event communications
• Prominent recognition throughout the summit venue