Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Job Corps closes; Fed budget cuts task force; Beyond Reach Labs wins $50k

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This week in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University launches robotics I-Corps, federal funding for the Pennsylvania workforce and more.

Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

• Pittsburgh’s Job Corps center, which provides job training and pre-apprenticeship programs for young people, will shut down by the end of the month as part of nationwide cuts ordered by the US Department of Labor. The move will affect 438 enrolled students, 14% of whom are homeless. [TribLive/PGH Business Times]

• President Donald Trump visited the Pittsburgh area on Friday to talk about the $14 billion merger of Japanese-owned Nippon Steel and Pittsburgh-based US Steel, which he claims will create 70,000 steel jobs in the region. A few days later, Trump doubled the proposed tariffs on steel. [PublicSource/Technical.ly/CNN]

• Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials announced a new task force on Thursday to organize the local government’s response to Trump’s federal budget cuts. Local officials did not yet have details about how the task force will attempt to fill federal funding gaps. [PublicSource]

• Two Pittsburgh companies won big at the Keystone Space Innovation Challenge. Beyond Reach Labs won $50,000 for its foldable system that sets up towers and shelters in tough environments. Revitalize got $25,000 for developing space-enabled eye drops to ease screen-related eye strain. [Keystone Space Collab]

• Carnegie Mellon-born NoRILLA is using AI to make hands-on science learning more fun and effective for kids. With National Science Foundation support, NoRILLA’s interactive exhibit has been featured in museums across the country, including the Carnegie Science Center. [Kidsburgh]

• Pennsylvania’s efforts to expand high-speed internet access and promote digital equity are under threat after the Trump administration abruptly canceled two federal grant programs that would have brought the state more than $35 million in funding. [Technical.ly/SpotlightPA]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Laugh at the absurdity of office culture at Co-Workers, an Arcade Comedy Theater production opening tonight, June 5. Local talent brings quirky coworkers, awkward meetings and office politics to the stage through June 14. [Buy tickets]

• Unwind and connect over conversations about technology or entrepreneurship at this week’s Technically Coffee meetup, happening Friday, June 6, at the Bakery Square patio. [Details here]

• Innovation Works’ Venture Expo is bringing together founders and investors on June 10 for a full day of insightful discussions, pitch presentations and networking. [Apply to attend]

• Learn about local resources and network with fellow entrepreneurs at the University of Pittsburgh’s Small Business Resource Fair on June 10 at William Pitt Union. [More info]

• Technical.ly event: How can design thinking improve government services in Pittsburgh? Join Geoff Webster of Pittsburgh Futures Collaborative and Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak for a virtual conversation on applying world-class system principles to create better civic outcomes on June 11. [Register]