“Winning the AI Race is non‑negotiable. America must continue to be the dominant force in artificial intelligence to promote prosperity and protect our economic and national security…”— AI & Crypto Czar David O. Sacks
In Indiana County, Pennsylvania, an old coal plant is about to breathe again. Not with smoke. With data.
A new AI data center is coming online, part of a massive $90 billion national push to anchor artificial intelligence infrastructure in rural America. This isn’t just another tech park project. This is coal country being tapped to power the next chapter of human-machine collaboration.
It’s a big moment. And it’s happening just 45 miles from where I live.
That makes this personal. Because I know the kind of communities we’re talking about. These places are filled with people who’ve carried generations of industry. And now, they’re being asked to help bring the future.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth.
We are building cathedrals of computation without a plan for the people inside.
We talk about AI. But we forget about ourselves.
Everyone’s focused on the hardware. The compute. The cooling. The scale. But let’s ask the more complicated question.
Who is going to make this work?
Not just run the servers. But secure the systems. Interpret the models. Govern the outcomes. Solve the human problems.
Who will keep this from becoming another ghost shell of a big idea?
Because the infrastructure alone won’t do it.
Without skilled people, this data center is just blinking lights in a box.
There’s no shortage of talent. Just a shortage of signal.
Here in the Pittsburgh tri-state region, we are surrounded by potential. High schoolers. Mid-career professionals. Veterans. Educators. People who are sharp, curious, loyal, and willing to adapt.
But too many don’t know how to find their way in.
They’re told to reskill, but no one explains what that means. They’re bombarded with programs, platforms, and promises, but little feels connected or authentic.
We keep asking them to jump, but we don’t show them where they’ll land.
This isn’t just frustrating. It’s cruel. And it is solvable.
We don’t need more bootcamps. We need a clear, consistent, trusted way to help people grow from wherever they are into the roles these new economies need.
That system already exists. It’s called SFIA.
SFIA is the blueprint we’ve been waiting for.
The Skills Framework for the Information Age has evolved over 25 years. It’s been used around the world. It’s the national backbone in countries like Australia and New Zealand. And yet most people in the U.S. have never heard of it.
But they should.
SFIA defines real digital skills. Not job titles. Not buzzwords. Actual capabilities.
It lays out seven levels of responsibility. It maps out how people grow from knowledge to proficiency. It also works across all emerging areas: AI, cybersecurity, data, design, policy, change, governance, and more.
It doesn’t sell you anything. That’s why it’s trustworthy.
This is the quiet engine behind some of the most innovative workforce systems in the world.
And we can use it here. Right now!
This moment is rare. Let’s not waste it.
When the Trump administration greenlit AI infrastructure across rural regions, it set the stage. And when Govenor Josh Shapiro embraced that momentum and welcomed these investments into Pennsylvania, he showed what it looks like to put community ahead of politics.
That doesn’t happen every day.
We finally have alignment. Investment. Attention.
What we don’t have yet is a strategy for the people.
If we build that right now, we won’t just create jobs. We’ll make the model that the rest of the country follows.
And this isn’t hypothetical. It’s a choice.
We can either keep reacting or lead.
We don’t need more noise. We don’t need another flashy portal that promises more than it delivers. And we don’t need to start from scratch when the tools and truth are already right before us.
This is not just about the future of work. This is about who gets to shape it.
And from where I’m standing, just 45 miles from the coal plant that’s about to light up with AI, I can tell you this.
The people are ready. We need to meet them with the proper invitation.
Let’s not wait until the headlines fade.
Let’s build the story behind the story.
And let’s do it in a way that the rest of the world can’t ignore.
AUTHOR NOTE: Reproduced with thanks to John Kleist III, Chief Growth and Alliances Officer for SkillsTX and author of Digital Talent Strategies, a popular newsletter on LinkedIn. John is a LinkedIn “Top Voice” and a Talent Management Revolutionary, Spearheading Skills-Based Digital Talent Strategies with SkillsTX Talent eXperience Skills Intelligence and the #SFIA Framework | A.K.A. #ThatSFIAGuy | Let’s Unlock Your #PassionForPotential TOGETHER.
#PeopleMakeItWork #SFIAFramework #AIInfrastructure #DigitalSkillsRevolution #FromCoalToCode #PittsburghTech #TalentIsInfrastructure #SkillsTX #ReskillAmerica #FutureOfWorkforce
