Erie, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker today kicked off a statewide tour to promote the one-stop-shop services available to Pennsylvania workers and employers through PA CareerLink® — a network of 62 offices embedded in local communities and staffed with professionals who help workers build in-demand skills, prepare for the job application process and secure family-sustaining employment. For employers of all sizes and industries, PA CareerLink® saves the business community time and money by connecting employers directly with the skilled talent they need to grow and compete.
Secretary Walker and state Rep. Pat Harkins visited PA CareerLink® Erie and met with community leaders, representatives of Northwest Pennsylvania (NWPA) Job Connect and local employers to discuss how PA CareerLink® services can help address ongoing workforce challenges in the region.
“To address barriers to gainful employment, we must confront them deliberately – that includes having meaningful conversations that are responsive to the needs of workers and employers, and make a real difference in a community,” Secretary Walker said. “Together, we can develop commonsense solutions that strengthen local economies, equip individuals with the skills needed to be successful in the modern labor market, and prepare northwestern Pennsylvania for the jobs of the future.”
The challenges of a tight labor market make PA CareerLink® services especially relevant today. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate in May was 4.0 percent, a record low. Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs also hit a new record high of more than 6.1 million in May — the fifth month in a row that jobs have set a new all-time high level. In April 2023, there were approximately 150,000 more job openings than there were unemployed Pennsylvanians.
“PA CareerLink® is uniquely positioned to help job seekers upskill into careers and to help employers connect with talented individuals,” said Lisa Miller, executive director of NWPA Job Connect. “By joining with community partners and exploring funding models to provide needed training dollars and offer supports to those who need them in order to successfully gain employment, PA CareerLink®, NWPA Job Connect, and its community partners are able to connect employers with untapped pools of talent that are critically needed during this extreme worker shortage.”
With job openings outpacing the number of available workers, competition for labor is intense and some industries like health care, education, manufacturing, agriculture and construction face critical shortages. The Shapiro Administration is confronting these challenges with funding for apprenticeship programs that create alternative pathways to careers in teaching and nursing, for example.
Meanwhile, many workers who might otherwise pursue full-time work encounter barriers including the high cost of childcare, a lack of reliable transportation, limited digital literacy and unreliable Internet services. The Shapiro Administration supports programs that break down these barriers and serve the needs of demographics facing significant barriers, particularly individuals with disabilities, re-entrants and historically marginalized populations.
To address these workforce challenges, Secretary Walker and local leaders discussed ways to eliminate employment barriers and connect unemployed or underemployed workers with the skills they need to be successful in industries with critical shortages in the Erie region.
Specifically, in Erie, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) prepares young adults with autism for positions in manufacturing. The first cohort at Crawford County Technical School has successfully completed and, currently, two additional UAA cohorts are being planned in northwest Pennsylvania, one offered at Erie County Community College and one at Crawford County Technical School.
PA CareerLink® Erie prepares Pennsylvanians to meet the needs of businesses and matches employers with qualified, skilled candidates. Individuals can register for career and training services, search for job postings and upload their resumes to make themselves visible and available to thousands of employers.
Some of the free career-building and other services provided include:
- Resume building/posting/submitting workshops
- Mock interviews
- Job search and training assistance
- Adult education classes and workshops
- Career fairs
- Referral services to partners
PA CareerLink® also has more than 7,000 free unique virtual training modules available through SkillUp™ PA to help anyone in the Commonwealth gain new skills and advance their careers.
L&I launched SkillUp™ PA in August 2021 to give Pennsylvania workers and employers access to a diverse portfolio of online courses to build skills in accounting and finance, clerical work, customer service, information technology, marketing, soft skills like communication, time management, and more.
SkillUp™ PA also offers a flexible, self-directed e-learning service that gives job seekers the opportunity to manage their own training with the goal of improving their marketability to prospective employers. This includes access to a free curriculum to obtain industry-recognized credentials, including CompTIA, Cybersecurity, Project Management, Human Resources, Microsoft Office Specialist and more.
To access SkillUp™ PA, register for a free account online with PA CareerLink®.
Labor & Industry Visits PA CareerLink® Erie to Discuss Workforce Challenges and Opportunities in Northwestern Pennsylvania
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