September 2008 Sees Improved Job Count For Pittsburgh Region

Although the data was taken just prior to the burgeoning financial crises, the Pittsburgh Metro in September saw an increase of over 7,000 jobs from September of 2007. How the job picture will look over the next two months in our area is anybody’s guess, but multiple points of interest have been expressed by area economists. Articles in the Post Gazette and the Tribune-Review show different levels of optimism. We at the Employment Guide saw a relatively strong September but experienced a softening in October compared to a year ago. Remember, we are solely dependent on the placement of help-wanted ads or help-wanted Internet text postings. Our prediction, based on our direct business experience, is that we will see a moderate drop on total jobs in the Pittsburgh Metro when the October numbers are released in another month. As noted in all of the area economist quotes, our strength in healthcare will be the main mitigating factor of how many jobs are lost. Retail is one area being negatively affected in Pittsburgh, although with the opening of Nordstrom and LL Bean the amount of weakness will be diminished at least in the near term.

Fall Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo Coming October 1st

The autumn edition of the Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo is set for October 1st from 10:00AM to 3:00PM at Mellon Arena. A company list is posted below.
As part of the National Employ the Older Worker Job Fair Series in conjunction with AARP Foundation WorkSearch, this event will also be held in conjunction with the Allegheny County Department of Veteran’s Affairs and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.

All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. No pre-registration is required and admission is free to all job seekers. We only ask that you come dressed for success and bring plenty of resumes. Parking at the arena, if you drive, costs from $5.95 to $7.95 for all day depending on which lot you use. Of course, Mellon Arena is serviced very well by public transportation, making this event easy to get to.

All job seekers who attend will be eligible to win one of 4 $50.00 gas cards to be given away at the top of each hour -11:00AM, 12:00 noon, 1:00PM and 2:00PM. As you come into the job fair (enter gate 10) you will be given a ticket to be used for the drawings.

Companies will primarily be looking for hourly, entry level up to mid-level skilled positions in Healthcare, Nursing, Sales, Customer Service, Social Services, Retail, Hospitality, Finance / Banking, the Building Trades and more.

Some of the companies and schools attending include:
Coventry Healthcare / Health America, PA Mentor, Advance Auto Parts, Mainstay Life Services, U.S. Navy, SMG, Aramark, PA Army National Guard, H&R Block, Aldi, Community College of Allegheny County, New Century Careers, CVS/Caremark, City of Pittsburgh Diversity 365, Giant Eagle Market District, CCAC Most, All-State Career, The Empyrean Group, Liberty USA, Builders Guild of Western PA, Everest Institute, Giant Eagle Getgo, Transitional Services, Life Pittsburgh, Verizon Wireless, Carnegie Mellon Facilities Management, CEP/Clayton Academy, Kaplan Career Institute, Leed's and more.

Preparing for Tomorrow’s Workplace In Pittsburgh

Thank you to Karrie Valauri of AARP Foundation WorkSearch for submitting this very timely information for our blog. The Pittsburgh "Hire the Older Worker" Job Fair, part of the national series of job fairs in partnership between The Employment Guide, WiserWorker.com and the AARP Foundation WorkSearch, is coming October 1st at the Mellon Arena.


Interested in Changing Careers?
Interested in Remaining Marketable in the Workforce?
Are you Unemployed or Underemployed?

By 2010, one in three workers will be over the age of 50. As the relative proportion of younger workers declines, attracting and retaining experienced and reliable workers will be as important as ensuring that experienced workers are prepared to meet the skills in demand of the 21st century workplace.

AARP Foundation is dedicated to creating new opportunities for individuals to re-enter the workforce or to remain in the workforce. To assist individuals with obtaining and maintaining the needed skill sets for employability today and in the future, AARP Foundation has developed WorkSearch Programs.

AARP WorkSearch Assessment is an on-line instrument that helps the experienced, mature worker remain in or re-enter the workforce. It identifies work interests, personal characteristics and transferable skills. It offers quick tests to determine if one has the right skills for a job, online training programs to fill skill gaps, and job opportunities by zip code.

The WorkSearch Assessment System encompasses over 1200 job specific on-line courses, eighty of which are certified, and 75% of all job titles in the Bureau of Labor Statistics job bank are represented. It is available at no cost to experience job seekers of all ages and income levels.

“WorkSearch is an excellent tool to help you to focus in on the type of job you want, to evaluate your skills and to recognize skill gaps,” said to Roberta Davis, Employment Specialist for WorkSearch.

New job opportunities, however, often require additional skills, time and money. The right education and training can sometimes be out-of-reach, especially if you have limited financial resources.

Through the Foundation’s Training Assistance Program – the AARP Foundation is providing financial support for training to adult workers (40+) who have incomes that are at or below the median income for their community, and who are interested in training to remain in or re-enter the workforce. Because not everyone has the same interests or learns the same way, the AARP Foundation has established a number of different options, including on-line learning, classroom, and employer-based training to help people gain the skills they need to be competitive for today’s jobs.

Mature workers are being certified in many disciplines through the on-line certifications, including medical coding and billing, project management and technical writing. Classroom training has encompasses nationally recognized Customer Service certification, Quickbooks, and much more. Special on-line opportunities to obtain teaching certifications and bachelor’s degree in the accounting field are also available.

The third program offered locally through WorkSearch is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). This service provides paid training opportunities for unemployed residents of Allegheny County who are 55 years of age or older, who meet income guidelines and are currently seeking employment. Individuals train at non-profit organizations to obtain the experience and skill sets needed to become more marketable.

Past participant, Geraldine McCorkle, is now employed and refers to SCSEP as an “excellent program for seniors to get going and keep going. Thank you.”

AARP is committed to assisting the mature workers with making informed choices regarding employment interests and options, and meeting employment goals. It recognizes that what we do today, we may not be interested in doing or physically capable of doing five, ten years from now. Our skill sets may not correspond to the needs of tomorrow’s employers.

AARP Foundation also supports a National Employer Team for those employers who are interested in securing and maintaining a mature, skilled workforce.

So whether you are an employer interested is retaining a mature workforce, or an individual interested in changing careers, remaining marketable, or re-entering the job market, learn more about how AARP Foundation WorkSearch can help you achieve your goals.

Prepare today for tomorrow’s workforce…let AARP Foundation WorkSearch help you. Contact the local AARP Foundation WorkSearch office at 412-271-1580, or visit aarpworksearch.org.

Manpower Employment Survey Shows Pittsburgh Will not decline in Hiring Activity in Fourth Quarter From Third Quarter, 2008

While nationwide Manpower Survey shows broad decline for fourth quarter hiring plans, Pittsburgh should continue to weather the storm. Though down from year ago levels, quarter to quarter hiring activity should remain the same. Here is the complete news release:

Favorable Job Market Expected for Pittsburgh
September 9, 2008 – Pittsburgh area employers expect to hire at a steady pace during the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

From October to December, 27% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 10% expect to reduce their payrolls, according to Manpower
spokesperson Kelly M. Scott. Another 58% expect to maintain their current staff levels and
5% are not certain of their hiring plans.

“Employers anticipate staff levels to be similar to the third quarter of 2008 when 29% of companies interviewed intended to add employees, and 10% planned to reduce staff levels,” said Scott. “Compared to one year ago when 36% of companies surveyed planned to increase staff levels and 10% expected to cut payrolls, hiring intentions for the fourth quarter are weaker.”

For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in Durable Goods Manufacturing,
Transportation/Public Utilities and Wholesale/Retail Trade. Employers in Education and Public Administration plan to reduce staffing levels, while those in Services voice mixed hiring intentions. Hiring in Construction, Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing and Finance/Insurance/Real Estate is expected to remain unchanged.

Of the 14,000 employers surveyed in the U.S., 22% expect to increase their staff levels during the October – December period, while 13% expect to reduce their payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of 9%. Fifty-nine percent expect no change in hiring and 6% are undecided about their Quarter 4 2008 hiring plans.

The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on December 9, 2008 to report hiring expectations for Quarter 1 2009.

The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh Partners with CCAC and Other Providers on Direct Support Professional Education Program

The Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh, in partnership with CCAC and other providers of intellectual disability services, will offer an eight-week training program at CCAC’s Allegheny campus, beginning October 6th, 2008, for individuals who aspire to work with persons with intellectual disabilities in a residential community setting (group home). The course will be provided free-of-charge to initial participants and is supported by a $45,000 grant from FISA Foundation. According to Lorraine Wagner, Executive Director of the Emmaus Community, the program “aims to target career minded candidates who are empty nesters, high school graduates, unemployed, single parents, or currently employed but seeking a more fulfilling line of work.”

Course participants will receive an introduction to the field, including an overview of the history of mental retardation and the ethics and values that impact on the work of Direct Support Professionals. Other training will include job responsibilities, communication skills, state and county regulations, and the required medication administration and CPR/First Aid certifications. All participants will complete an on-site practicum with local providers, where they will have the opportunity to work first-hand with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Upon successful completion of the program, a certificate will be awarded, and graduates will attend a job fair where they can meet representatives from local intellectual disability service agencies.

Wagner emphasizes that “this unique training program will allow participants to enter into a career in the Direct Support field as true professionals, with all of the information and training that is crucial to providing the highest quality of care.” Wagner says “the program is designed to provide not only a textbook knowledge of Direct Support, but face-to-face experiences. Graduates will have a better understanding of the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and the importance of this very rewarding work.” For more information, contact Karen Jacobsen at 412-381-0277. The deadline for applications to the program is September 19, 2008.

About Emmaus:
Emmaus is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization located in Pittsburgh’s South Side which provides permanent homes and care for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For a visit to Emmaus, to share the news of these services with the community in your articles and stories, please contact Emmaus at 412-381-0277

Cranberry Township Retail Project in Jeopardy, over 1,000 New Jobs With It

An ongoing story that has developed over the past three years and well covered by the Pittsburgh Business Times's Tim Schooley and Ben Semmes concerns multiple retail and office projects planned for the Cranberry Twp, PA area near the intersection of I-79 and state route 228.

On the planning block for three years, the cornerstone project involves Simon Properties, owner of Ross Park Mall, South Hills Village and Century Three Mall, as well as dozens of other properties around the country. This would be a retail project of over 850,000 square feet similar in design to Pittsburgh’s Waterfront in West Homestead.

With a total projected cost of over 85 million dollars, Simon has put together financing of 40 million along with an additional 25 million from state and local sources, leaving a shortfall of 20 million needed to break ground. A large part of the funding would go toward road improvements needed to both Rt. 228 and to the I-79-Rt 228 interchange to handle projected traffic volumes created by the projects.

A project of this scope, as accessible as it would be, do to it’s location near I-79, I-76 (PA Turnpike), state Rt. 19 and state Rt. 228, would make it a destination for shoppers from a 50 mile radius and more. The number of good jobs created would be over a thousand not counting the additional support and ancillary jobs. Click on the image for a larger view.

It would be more than a shame if this project were to die because this funding gap could not be closed by the unofficial deadline of the end of 2008. Simon Properties has inferred that if no real progress is made by then they will walk away and look elsewhere for investment opportunities.

It’s time our state and federal representatives step up and help close this gap. Opportunities like this are extremely rare. The benefits we would get are regional in scope. Our elected leaders have an opportunity here to show the leadership they were elected to provide. Or they can do nothing.

What Help Wanted Ads Really Mean...

We found this online and thought it was funny ;>)

Job Recruiter Lingo:

Competitive Salary
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

Join our Fast-Pace Team
We have no time to train you.

Casual Work Atmosphere
We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up; well, a couple of the real daring guys wear earrings.

Must be Deadline Oriented
You’ll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

Some Overtime Required
Some time each night and some time each weekend.

Duties Will Vary
Anyone in the office can boss you around.

Must have an Eye for Detail
We have no quality control

Apply in Person
If you're old, fat or ugly, you'll be told the position has been filled.

No Phone Calls Please
We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.

Seeking Candidates with a Wide Variety of Experience
You'll need it to replace three people who just left.

Problem-Solving Skills a Must
You’re walking into a company in perpetual chaos

Good Communication Skills
Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want, and do it.

Require Team Leadership Skills
You’ll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.