BUTLER TWP — An educational summit next month is designed to focus on the work force and education, finding ways for them to work more in sync.

The Butler County Education Summit, sponsored by XTO Energy and organized by the United Way of Butler County, will take place Nov. 15 at Butler Memorial Hospital. It is part of the XTO/United Way Communities and Schools Initiative and Pilot Project.

“It’s more focused around the jobs that are available in our area, all the jobs available in our area, and how to best fill those positions after high school,” said Kierston Hobaugh, director of results and performance at the United Way.

“There are energy jobs included in that, but businesses from across the board are invited.”

The main speakers will be Laura Fisher with the Allegheny Conference on the regional workforce and Carla Claycomb with the Pennsylvania State Education Association on the state Common Core educational standards.

There will be discussion groups on these topics:

• Technology in the classroom, led by Ann McCandless of Butler County Community College

• Early childhood education, led by Alice Nunes of the Butler County Children’s Center

• Career planning, led by John Rindy of Slippery Rock University

• Industry in schools, led by Scott Covert of Penn United Technologies

Also speaking will be Natalie Corbin, a senior at Knoch High School, who will talk about one student’s educational journey.

The summit will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About 100 people in the business, educational and governmental fields have been invited to attend, but the public also can come, according to Leslie Osche, executive director of the United Way.

To reserve a place, contact Hobaugh at the United Way by calling 724-285-4883 or e-mailing KHobaugh@butlerunitedway.org.

Osche said the goal of the summit is to collect information from business and the community to help prepare young people to be successful in the workforce.

She said if young people become good employees, they use fewer social services which reduces those costs to the community.

She noted that community leaders need to look at education throughout the county because each school district has different issues that need to be addressed.

And local leaders need to talk with state lawmakers to let them know what the educational and business needs are in the county, Osche said.