FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Via e-mail For more information contact: Paula K. Fritz Pike County Workforce Coordinator Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership Facilitated by Workforce Wayne 570-253-5334
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November 6, 2009 The Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership collaborates with Pike County Public Libraries: Community Career & Training Sites Launch
Pictured above (L-R): Ellen Schaffner, PCPL Director, Joyce Morris, Circulation staff, Jen Greco, Public Services for PCPL, and Linda Krafinski, Head of Systems Technology & Services. NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA – In these economic times, now more than ever community members are seeking information regarding career exploration, distance learning and job training options. Through a partnership with Pike County Public libraries, the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership, which is facilitated by Workforce Wayne, is working to fulfilling the community’s needs by implementing Community Career & Training Sites. Grand opening events will take place the week of Nov. 16th. The public is invited for refreshments and a tour of the new resources as follows: Tuesday, November 17th @ 4pm : Milford Branch, Milford Wednesday, November 18th @ 4pm: Dingman Township Branch, Milford Friday, November 20th @ 4pm: Lackawaxen Branch, Greeley “Pike County Public Library welcomes this partnership with the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership. The Community Career & Training centers at PCPL's facilities will provide our residents with new resources for job seeking and career opportunities. With today's economy, these tools are more important than ever. We are grateful that this valuable program has been expanded into Pike county,” stated Library Director Ellen Schaffner. Workforce Wayne’s Director of Workforce Initiatives, Jennifer Porter, added: “One of Workforce Wayne’s long term goals is to create a culture of lifelong learning. This is where the libraries come in. By using the libraries as local Community Career & Training Sites, workforce resources are closer and more convenient to the residents who need them. Libraries are located throughout the county, offer evening and weekend hours, and provide high-speed Internet access.” At the Community Career & Training sites, the public will find new computers, new electronic and print resources, and a new, easy-to-find centralized location for all of the books that the libraries offer on careers, career testing, resumes, cover letters, and occupational guidance. Starting the week of November 30th , there will also be a workforce support person available at a scheduled date and time at each library to provide one-on-one assistance for those who need it. The Community Career & Training sites are available for customers during all library hours; however, the hours indicated below for each site will be staff-supported by Pike County service partners. Assisted support hours (by appointment preferred) will be: Milford Branch: Mondays 4-7pm Dingman Branch: Wednesdays 4-7pm Lackawaxen Branch: will be by appointment only, call 570-685-3100 to make an appointment
One of the new resources that will be available at each of the library sites is called Career Cruising. This is the same tool that, through a Wall Street West/WIRED grant, has been implemented in Wallenpaupack Area school district. It allows individuals to create a user account through www.careercruising.com and offers online career guidance, exploration of education and training options, building an online portfolio, and career assessment tools (for those who may want to explore other career options or those who are unsure of what career they are interested in). By this resource being available at the Community Career & Training sites, students can also access their Career Cruising accounts over the summer – which will allow them to keep working on their career exploration and making additions to their online portfolio. Another of the new resources that will be available is real-time online job interview practice called Interview Stream. Using a webcam and the library’s Internet connection, people will be able to come for an "interview" and then receive advice on how to strengthen their skills to make a better impression. Interview Stream also has online tutorials and guidance on job search and interviewing skills. WinWay Resume Software will also be installed on each of the computers. WinWay offers resume and cover letter writing assistance, plus much more. The software includes a Resume Wizard to help individuals create a job-winning resume, with 14,000+ examples included. There are also 116,000 employer catching phrases, searchable by career field. Included in the software is a Resume Auditor, which helps to find 100+ mistakes that can cause rejection. Cover letter tools help users to create persuasive cover letters, with 400+ professional letter examples included. All of the new career and training resources will be added to the libraries’ computer skills tutorials, resume review, and other services targeted for students and job seekers. Workforce Wayne is a Wall Street West sub-grantee, and this program is funded in part by a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. To become part of Workforce Wayne or the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership sign onto Workforce Wayne’s Community Compact Agreement at www.workforcewayne.org
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