Youth Drone Education Program Success Story: The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc.

Week of the Young Child at Burchfield Pre-K

Week of the Young Child at Burchfield Pre-K

During Week of the Young Child, our Burchfield Pre-K classroom was filled with creativity, collaboration, and joyful learning experiences! We kicked off the week with Music Monday, where students designed their own musical instruments using paper plates and dried...

HS/EHS of Fayette County: The Garden Party Program Event

HS/EHS of Fayette County: The Garden Party Program Event

Families enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start of Fayette County were invited to “The Garden Party” held at the Lemont Furnace Head Start Center on April 15, 2026. The theme of the event was to focus on skills from the program’s School Readiness Goals. We also...

Building the workforce: PIC hosts Operating Engineers

Building the workforce: PIC hosts Operating Engineers

The Private Industry Council (PIC) was pleased to serve as a valued partner to the Western PA Operating Engineers, beginning with preparation coursework on January 10th & 17th, 2026 and concluding with testing held from January 21st - 27th. Operating engineers are...

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Listen to the “PIC Podcasts”

Listen to the “PIC Podcasts”

Head Start / Early Head Start FAQs The Private Industry Council discusses frequently asked questions for Head Start and Early Head Start students. Private Industry Council operates the Head Start / Early Head Start program for Beaver and Fayette Counties in the...

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Airman First Class Jes Nicola, of Hopwood PA, is proudly serving his country in the United States Air Force. Jes participated in our Drone Education Program during the 2020 – 2021 school year through a grant provided by the Westmoreland Fayette Workforce Investment Board (WFWIB). Jes was very interested in drone technology and the potential it had as a career path. He earned his FAA PART 107 Remote Pilot license through the program and having this FAA license enabled him to be a squadron leader and have a higher rank with the ROTC drone division based out of Laurel Highlands High School.

Jes completed his basic training and is currently serving at Sheppard Air Force Base. He is studying Remote Pilot Aircraft (drones) at the 82nd Training Wing Logistics University (known as “Tech School”) in Wichita Falls, Texas. He will graduate in February 2024. His first deployment will be at Creech Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada. Creech Air Force base is America’s Command and Control Center used “to engage in daily overseas contingency operations of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe.” His title will be “Avionic Controls”. He will be part of a team that flies and maintains the Air Force’s Remote Pilot Aircraft, such as the MQ9 Reaper, also known as Predator B (pictured below).

Jes has earned the rank of Airman 1st Class in the United States Air Force. He will live in Las Vegas, Nevada while stationed at Creech Air Force Base. He signed with the Air Force for six years.  Jes had a great base to prepare him for this career with his participation in the Drone Education Program and his four years in the ROTC.  Jes has demonstrated a strong work ethic and commitment that has enabled him to achieve his career goal. We are very proud of him and grateful for his service to our country.

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