Williamsport, Pa. — PA CareerLink Lycoming County officially opened the doors of its new home Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside its Williamsport offices at 330 Pine Street.
The Sept. 3 ribbon cutting was followed by an open-house-style PA CareerLink Day that ran through the afternoon on the third floor of the Horizon Federal Credit Union building.
The relocation, hosted in partnership with the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, marked the start of a statewide awareness initiative led by the Pa. Department of Labor and Industry to highlight resources available to job seekers and employers through the PA CareerLink network.
From left: Pa. Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy Walker, State Rep. Jamie Flick, Erica Mulberger, executive director of Advance Central PA, and Lycoming County Commissioner Mark Mussina.
Advance Central PA, the region's workforce development board, hosted similar Awareness Day events across CareerLink locations in its nine-county service area.
"Today, we celebrate much more than a new building. We're celebrating opportunities," said Erica Mulberger, executive director of Advance Central PA, at the ribbon cutting. "We're celebrating the opportunity for someone to walk through these doors looking for a job and walk out with a career...and we're celebrating the opportunity for local employers to find the talented, dedicated people they need to grow and succeed."
Mulberger also thanked PA CareerLink staff and members of Advance Central PA's workforce development board for their work on the move and the transition to the new space. State Rep. Jamie Flick, R-Lycoming/Union, Lycoming County Commissioner Mark Mussina, and Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter were among the local officials on hand for the ceremony.
Flick, drawing on his own family's experience with the agency, said the need for services like PA CareerLink's has only grown as career paths have become less predictable.
"People change jobs. Kids are expected to change jobs...maybe a dozen times in their life, maybe more," Flick said. "So a place like CareerLink is so critical, more critical now than ever, as people come up with fresh ideas or are forced into career changes. I've used CareerLink before. Two of my kids have used it, so I really just can't say enough."
Pa. Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy Walker also spoke, calling the new office "a resource for job seekers, for employers, for trainers...for ages to come."
"This is really about meeting people where they are," Walker said. "For job seekers, [it's about] investing in the tools and partnerships that are necessary to help them get on career pathways...for employers, it's about making sure that they have the workforce they need both today, but well into the future."
Mussina, speaking from an employer's perspective, urged other local businesses to look past the misconception that PA CareerLink functions like a temp agency.
"It is vast, it is different, and we have had multiple successful hirings through CareerLink at the county," Mussina said. "If you're an employer...just make that one call, shoot that one email, and you will learn a lot."
PA CareerLink Day, running from noon to 3 p.m., gave job seekers access to personalized resume reviews, mock interviews, career assessments, and information on GED and high school equivalency programs and veteran services.
In a third-floor conference room, North Penn Legal Services held a walk-in clinic beginning at 12:30 p.m. on criminal background expungement, record sealing, and other paths to a fresh start.
Employers meeting with job seekers throughout the afternoon included Chance Aluminum, Glenn O. Hawbaker, Horizon Federal Credit Union, Lycoming County government, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Ralph S. Alberts Co. Inc., Stellant, Unique Industries, UPMC, and the Williamsport Area School District. Business leaders were also able to meet with PA CareerLink's Business Solutions Team, which offers support with recruiting, retention, and workforce development.
"PA CareerLink Day highlights the many ways PA CareerLink supports individuals and businesses throughout Central Pennsylvania," Mulberger said in a statement ahead of the event. "We are excited to showcase Lycoming County's new, modern location and encourage job seekers, employers, and community members to take advantage of this opportunity."