BUILD BACK BETTER REGIONAL CHALLENGE: EXPANDING PATHWAYS TO NEW ECONOMY CAREERS

As a part of the Southwest Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative, the Block Center is playing a central role in establishing a highly coordinated, regional upskilling system serving the regional robotics and advanced manufacturing fields, opening up a range of training options outside of traditional four-year and advanced degrees, and ensuring that programs evolve based on industry needs.

The Block Center announced the first portfolio of annual subawards for projects leading or supporting skills-focused training programs that help Southwestern Pennsylvanians secure jobs in robotics and advanced manufacturing in our region. [Read more.]

DEVELOPING AUTOMOATION POLICY TO ENSURE WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR

The Human-Computer Interaction Institute-based research team is continuing work to co-design automation implementation policies for workers and customers in the hospitality industry to ensure their health and safety. The work cooperates with the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, the labor union UNITE HERE!, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). [Read the full story.]

Faculty team:
Jodi Forlizzi
Sarah Fox
Chinmay Kulkarni

CAN RIDESHARING HELP THE DISADVANTAGED GET MOVING?

Citizens with lower education and skill levels often confront challenges when seeking employment. The jobs best suited for their skills may be geographically distant from their homes, and the existing public transportation system may not provide them with an easy way of commuting to those jobs. Effective cooperation between governments, regulatory authorities, and transportation networking companies could remove those barriers and make ridesharing systems available to disadvantaged citizens. 

To assess citizen response to a public ridesharing policy, the Block Center, in collaboration with Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, led a series of field experiments in Pittsburgh and adjacent areas of Allegheny County. [Read more.]

Faculty team:
Lee Branstetter
Beibei Lei
Lowell Taylor