By Ben Robinson, Courier Staff

COUNTY — Youth unemployment expert and author Nicholas Wyman visited Pickens County last week and shared his impression on economic development efforts made by Alliance Pickens.

Wyman is writing a book on the development of business technical skills and ways to bridge the skills gap in the United States. While doing his research for the book, he came across information about efforts by Alliance Pickens. Now, Wyman hopes to use what he learned as he tours the nation to speak.

“He was very impressed,” Alliance Pickens executive director Ray Farley said. “He looked at our economic development, our school district, the career center, basically all the things that are building success in Pickens County.”

Farley also said Wyman told officials he was impressed with the way different aspects of the economic picture worked together to build the economy.

“He took note of how education and private industry works well together,” Farley said.

Wyman’s book is being published by Random House and should be on shelves by late 2014 or early 2015.