Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley (GICV), Inc. holds the Title I contract for the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Services, made possible through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board, the region's leader and active partner in workforce development efforts.  GICV provides these services through the PA CareerLink, Cambria County to offer employment and training services that connect employers with job seekers.

Under the WIA, PA CareerLink, Cambria County focuses on meeting the training, education, and employment needs of job seekers through the One-Stop Approach.  This approach provides job seekers with information about employment and training services at a single neighborhood location.  The new location for PA CareerLink, Cambria County is:

New Location

PA CareerLink, Cambria County

Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center (former Vo-Tech)

445 Schoolhouse Road (Richland Township)

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

(814) 533-2493

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Services   Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley (GICV) through the PA CareerLink, offers Cambria County youth an opportunity to earn a paycheck.  For some, it's the first paycheck they’ve ever earned.       WIA services are available for in-school youth ages  16–21 who are enrolled in secondary education in Cambria County school districts, and out-of-school youth ages 16–21 who have either earned a high school diploma, earned a GED, or dropped out of high school.

Career planners meet with the youth to determine their eligibility. If eligible and suitable, the youth will become enrolled in the services and will:

• Attend weekly workshops that consist of the Youth Service Elements of the WIA, which include:
  – Career exploration
  – Job search
  – Job retention
  – Leadership development.

• Participate in a Paid Work Experience for 8–10 weeks

• Participate in intense assessment and testing for Post-Secondary Education or Career Planning, which include:
  – Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
  – Career Scope
  – Barriers to Employment Success Inventory (BESI)
  – Transition to Work Inventory

• Complete GED/Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes

• Receive referral to local agencies and services

For more information on WIA Services, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is determined by the Workforce Investment Act guidelines.

Applicants can self-refer themselves by visiting the PA CareerLink, Cambria County at 445 Schoolhouse Road (former Vo-Tech), Richland.

Funded by the Workforce Investment Act, through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board, the region's leader and active partner in workforce development efforts.

Coverage area by county: Cambria.

Job-Readiness Program:  Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, GICV through the PA CareerLink operates a 16-week Job-Readiness Program for in-school youth ages 16–18, with a Paid Work Experience as its main component.  This is designed to encourage youth to stay in school, increase job opportunities, prepare youth for the real world of work, and stave off future welfare dependency.
 
The Job-Readiness Program follows curriculum that’s based on the school-mandated Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.  Youth actively participate in workshops on Career Awareness and Preparation, Career Acquisition, and Career Retention and Advancement.  The final Employments Skills Workshop assists the youth in identifying good work ethics and social skills.  Career planners connect youth with Paid Work Experiences with local businesses in which they earn $7.25 per hour and receive on-the-job training, learn new job skills, and develop strong work ethics that they will carry with them into the future.
 
Dropout-Prevention Program:  Another component of the TANF Program is the Dropout-Prevention Program in which the PA CareerLink subcontracts to a local school district to help to keep youth ages 14–18 in school so that they earn their high school diplomas.  The eligibility and compliance of the programs are determined by PA CareerLink using the “235% Poverty Level Income” guide or Pennsylvania’s Free/Reduced Lunch Program parameters, among other criteria.
 
For more information on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.