PITTSBURGH — Chevron is spending $20 million to launch its Appalachia Partnership Initiative, which is meant to improve schools and workforce development in 27 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio.

Chevron is working with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and RAND Corporation to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and other measures to produce skilled workers for the energy and manufacturing industries spurred by Marcellus Shale drilling.

Among other measures, Chevron will work with the ShaleNET workforce training program to provide scholarships at four community colleges in those counties.

Chevron will also work with Carnegie Mellon University on an Energy Lab at the Elizabeth Forward and Bethlehem Center school districts near Pittsburgh. CMU students are developing middle school curricula meant to spur energy learning.