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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Hiring In The Hill District: The New Arena and Hotel Are Meeting Goals

Sunday, February 20, 2011
It was born out of the deal to build a new arena and took more than 12 months of protests, demonstrations and "pretty fierce" negotiations. But more than two years later, a community benefits agreement tied to the construction of the Consol Energy Center is producing dividends for Hill residents.


Of the 522 full and part-time jobs created at the new arena and the Cambria Suites Pittsburgh hotel next door, 203 have gone to people who live in Hill District ZIP codes or who used a Hill jobs center created as part of the agreement, according to the Pittsburgh Penguins.


That's nearly 40 percent of all the new jobs. At the hotel, 27 of the 37 new jobs, or nearly 73 percent, have gone to people with Hill ZIP codes or who used the First Source Center. "I think we're very pleased with the results of what really is a partnership with the Penguins," said Victor Roque, president and CEO of the Hill House Association. "They have been very supportive in opening doors and making sure people in the Hill District and African-Americans in general were given a fair shot at these jobs."


The agreement between the Penguins, Hill leaders, the city and the county was considered the first of its kind in Pittsburgh and was aimed specifically at the neighborhood that abuts the arena.
As part of the community benefits agreement, the Penguins committed to giving qualified Hill residents first consideration for jobs at the Consol Energy Center before opening the positions to other applicants.


The agreement also provided for the creation of the First Source Center, which handles job applications, pre-screens people for work, helps prepare applicants for interviews, offers career counseling and other services, and maintains a database of qualified applicants for various positions.
Of the new hires, 107 came through the First Source Center, which is managed by the Hill House Association.


Many of those hired from the Hill or through the First Source Center are minorities. Overall, 244 of the 522 new hires, or 47 percent, are minorities, according to the numbers complied by the Penguins. At the hotel, 57 percent of the people hired have been minorities.


One Hill resident hired was Melissa Klobuchar, an administrative assistant to human resources for Aramark at Consol Energy Center, which opened in August. A single mom, Ms. Klobuchar got her job in September after going through the First Source Center. She had previously worked as a waitress and at other administrative jobs.


She said she was drawn to First Source because she had heard "great things" about it being successful in placing people. She said she probably wouldn't have learned about the Aramark job had she not gone to the center.


Once there, she was interviewed, got help in fine-tuning her resume, and was asked about her interests and goals. After being interviewed by Aramark, she got the job.


"I love it. I love my job," she said. "The people are great. I feel comfortable here. What I don't know, I'm able to learn. I'm able to use my skills."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11051/1126442-28.stm

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Petland In Robinson Twp. Looking For Animal Lovers

Do you love animals? Are you looking for career opportunity in an environment that allows you to succeed while helping families find their next family member and offer expert advice on care?

"Our pet counselors are dedicated to matching the right pet with the right customer and meeting the needs of both. To our customers who already have pets, we are dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond" says store owner Jeff Koury.

Petland Robinson is looking for Pet Councilors full time to help meet the demand of their growth. With pay potential of $10 to $20 per hour, you will enjoy full training and an exciting environment where everyone works together.

If you are driven with a strong work ethic, love animals and are a quick learner with strong communication skills then this may be a great opportunity for you, Petland and their customers!

Due to their growth, opportunities for advancement to regional and national positions are available including equity opportunities.

About Petland:

Petland Robinson (located across from IKEA) is a Full-Service Specialty Retail Store.


It is our desire at Petland to make a difference in the communities we serve. For more than 43 years, Petland has been the retail pet industry leader in the area of animal care with ongoing staff training programs, in-store animal husbandry systems and community service programs aimed at placing homeless pets and curbing pet overpopulation in the community. Petland is a global leader in the pet retail industry with more than 200 locations worldwide.

To find out more or to apply, click on this link!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Pittsburgh-Area Jobless Rate Dips Below 8 Percent

By Joyce Gannon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

Holiday hiring in the retail sector helped boost the jobs report for December in the Pittsburgh area as the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent.

That's down from a jobless rate of 8.1 percent in November 2010, and 8.2 percent in December 2009. The local rate remained lower than both the state and federal unemployment rates in December, which stood at 8.5 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

Compared with December 2009, there were 9,000 more jobs in the Pittsburgh region -- the largest yearly jump since August 2007, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry, which released the numbers today.

"The Pittsburgh region continues to do a bit better than the rest of the state," said Mark Price, a labor economist with the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg. "If you look at averages, for the past three months the region was adding around 900 jobs a month. That's a fairly healthy number."

Despite the overall improvement, seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh region fell for the first time in three months, the state Department of Labor & Industry reported. The number of nonfarm jobs fell by 200 to a total 1.1 million.

Mr. Price called that a "blip" in the ongoing recovery. "We are in a recovery, and the expectation is we'll continue to add jobs in the months ahead," he said.

Among the data not seasonally adjusted, goods-producing jobs in the region dropped by 4,400 to 143,200. The state attributed most of that decline to a loss of 4,200 construction jobs. Manufacturing jobs fell by 200 to 85,700, marking the first time since July that manufacturing jobs declined. Although seasonal retail hiring grew, it was the smallest December increase in retail hiring since 1992, the report said.

Another sector that showed a significant drop from November to December was professional and business services, which lost a total of 900 jobs. The big declines came in administrative and support services.

The Pittsburgh metropolitan area, which has 1.2 million people in its civilian labor force, includes Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Armstrong, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Of those, Fayette had the highest unemployment rate in December at 10.2 percent; and Butler had the lowest at 7.3 percent.

In both Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh, the jobless rate stood at 7.5 percent for the month. Among major labor markets statewide, Scranton-Wilkes Barre had the highest unemployment rate at 9.5 percent and State College had the lowest at 5.8 percent.

The Pittsburgh region has lost a total of 27,000 jobs since before the recession started in 2007, said Mr. Price. "So it's still a healthy wait" to get those jobs back, he noted. "The recession was so deep, it will take longer than normal."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11032/1121981-407.stm

Truly a 'Burgh Thing!

Truly a 'Burgh Thing!
by Randy Bish, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Job News and Information for Job Seekers and Recruiters

Job News and Information for Job Seekers and Recruiters