Fall Career Expo going virtual at a time of need
Observer-Reporter
Benjamin Crawford, right, a CDL instructor at Penn Commercial, looks over an engine with student Chris Schultz in June 2019 at Penn Commercial in Washington.
Observer-Reporter
Benjamin Crawford, left, a CDL instructor at Penn Commercial, checks a truck with student Chris Schultz in June 2019 at Penn Commercial in Washington.
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula, right, questions Washington County commissioners, from left, Nick Sherman, Diana Irey Vaughan and Larry Maggi during a recent state of the economy event.
There’s no guarantee that a career will zoom via Zoom, but it may. The opportunity will be there Wednesday.
Four Washington County-based organizations have teamed up to present the 2020 Virtual Fall Career Expo, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Job seekers can connect with more than a dozen area employers via Zoom video, audio or text chat.
The Observer-Reporter organizes the annual event, which will be virtual for the first time – a novel experience because of the novel coronavirus. Penn Commercial Business/Technical School, Washington County Chamber of Commerce and PA CareerLink Washington County have joined the O-R as main partners/co-organizers.
The objective of the expo is to help identify job and career opportunities for those unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also is designed to assist high school seniors who are unable to participate in traditional career fairs because of restrictions.
“As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many individuals throughout our community have been furloughed or lost their jobs, and others are looking for a change,” Carole DeAngelo, advertising director for the O-R, said in a statement. “Given the restrictions surrounding events, we wanted to find a way to make our annual fall career expo work because now, more than ever, our community members need access to opportunities and resources.”
Jobless rates have been high since the pandemic hit Western Pennsylvania in mid-March. Washington County’s rate for July, the most recent month compiled by the state Department of Labor & Industry, is 14.3%.
Penn Commercial will host the Career Training and Education webinar.
“This will allow our county’s job seekers and our high school seniors to learn about trade school programs and trade career opportunities that exist in our region,” Lisa Neil, president of Southwest Training Services, Inc., and PA CareerLink Washington County, said in a statement.
Enrollment has risen at Penn Commercial, in South Strabane Township. School president Robert Bazant attributed the increase “to the uptick in unemployment.”
“Some of the businesses struggling will rebound. Others won’t,” he said. “There’s going to be people out there looking for work. Right now, with all this unemployment, it’s a great time to retool training.”
Jeff Kotula, president of the chamber, said in a statement: “The focus of the event is threefold. The first is to provide those that are unemployed the opportunity to meet with quality employers in our region. The second is to allow younger people who have not been able to explore internships, apprenticeships or other career-building opportunities … the chance to receive career advice and direction. And finally, to expose our employers to the quality workforce of Washington County.”
Fifteen employers had signed on through Thursday morning: NovaCare; Home Instead Senior Care; Washington Financial; Presbyterian SeniorCare Network; Washington Health System; Cricket Wireless; BluePrints; H&R Block Advisors; All Ways Safe Flagging; Christian Home Healthcare; SWC Reality; S.E. Schultz Electric; Wheeling Hospital; PA CareerLink; and Penn Commercial.
To participate in the event, job seekers and employers should visit observer-reporter.com/career.