If you or someone you know is looking for a job, the first stop to make is at one of the PA CareerLinks® in your area. The PA CareerLinks® are a one-stop job center designed to meet all of your employment needs. The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. (PIC) is the Title 1 provider at both the PA CareerLink® Westmoreland County located at the Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood, the PA CareerLink® Alle-Kiski located in the Westmoreland County Community College in New Kensington and the PA CareerLink® Fayette County located inside the PIC office at Lemont Furnace.
All PA CareerLinks® are staffed with Employment Specialist, Career Pathways Instructor, Customer Service Specialist and Account Representatives. Customer Service Specialist are the face of the CareerLink and are the first person that greats the community as they walk into the CareerLink offices.
The Customer Service Specialist is able to assist in setting up an account at the PA CareerLink® website www.pacareerlink.pa.gov which contains a wealth of information including job and training postings as well as information on Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Unemployment Compensation Resources. The Customer Service Specialist is also able to reset a person’s password along with locating their Participant Identification Number (PID). In addition, the Customer Service Specialist is able to assist with basic resume preparation.
The Employment Specialist is the PA CareerLink® staff member that the public develops the most in depth relationship with. The Employment Specialist is responsible for helping the customer throughout their job search process. During the job search process, the Employment Specialist and the customer will work together on various tasks including:
- Job search
- Resume writing
- Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Testing
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Eligibility
- Potential Individual Training Assistance (ITA)
- On The Job Training (OJT) Eligibility
- Transitional Employment Eligibility
The Employment Specialist will do a WIOA eligibility for those customers who qualify. The WIOA eligibility process allows the Employment Specialist to see if a customer is eligible for an ITA, OJT or Transitional Employment. Additionally the Employment Specialist hots workshops that are held at the PA CareerLink® centers. The workshops include but are not limited to:
- Resume
- ITA process
- Interview Skills
- Navigating the PA CareerLink®
To register for a workshop, the public can find a list on the Events Page on the PA CareerLink® website (www.pacareerlink.pa.gov). Workshops are offered biweekly and are limited to an average of 15 customers per event. The workshops are offered at no cost to the public.
The Account Representatives are the PA CareerLink® employees that work with employers. The Account Representatives take the customer’s resumes to employers to promote these customers to open positions they have listed on the PA CareerLink® website. The Account Representatives are also responsible for bring new employers to the PA CareerLinks® which allows the employers to begin posting open job postings on the website. In addition, the Account Representatives work with employers to identify candidates and opportunities for OJT or Transitional Employment. The Account Representatives are to be looked to by employers as a central point of information on various employment topics as well as job applicants and to assist the employer in any way that they can. This means by having an Account Representative lobbying for applicants, there is a better chance of PA CareerLink® customers getting the job they want.
Additionally, the PA CareerLinks® host an Unemployment Compensation phone. This phone is a direct line that the Unemployment Compensation offices answer Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 AM to 3:30 PM. During the hours of 8 AM to 11 AM on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday the Unemployment Compensation office will be able to answer calls from customers from their home phones.
In exciting news the PA CareerLink® Westmoreland County at Youngwood will be a site that the Unemployment Compensation office is providing an onsite UC Representative Services present at the PA CareerLink® in Youngwood starting on Thursdays December 6th until the end of January. This will give job seekers direct access to a Unemployment Compensation staff person to answer customer questions and provide guidance on the correct processes they need to follow. The Unemployment Compensation Representative will be using the UPS room as her office so that she is able to ensure confidentiality to all. The direct phone line to Unemployment Compensation is still available at the PA CareerLink® on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for customer convenience.
For more information about the PA CareerLink® call one of the many convenient locations or visit the website at www.pacareerlink.pa.gov
- PA CareerLink® Westmoreland County at Youngwood (724) 755-0469
- PA CareerLink® Alle-Kiski at New Kensington (724) 334-8600
- PA CareerLink® Fayette County at Lemont Furnace (724) 434-2946
