SHAMOKIN - In the wake of the proposal to close the CareerLink site in Shamokin, the Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce announced it will explore alternative arrangements so job development services can still be provided at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center.
The chamber's Economic Development and Governmental Affairs Committee will investigate the possibility of another agency or firm providing job development services if CareerLink leaves.
"The work that CareerLink does is very close to our mission, which is promoting business and economic development," said chamber director Sandy Winhofer.
Warren Altomare, committee chairman, said the chamber remains supportive of efforts by a local task force of elected officials to keep the CareerLink sites in Shamokin and Selinsgrove open. The group hopes to change the minds of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation board members who want to close both sites in favor of a centralized location in the Sunbury area.
But if the CareerLink closes, Altomare says the chamber will begin work to keep the services coming.
"We want to bring a CareerLink-like service here for our residents on the second floor of the Career and Arts Center," Altomare said. "We've identified the four funding streams that CPWDC uses and will look, if necessary, to be the catalyst for a firm to come in that offers residents the same services."
"We are continuing to work for the people of the Brush Valley region," said chamber president Joe Daniels-D'Andrea. "Statistics have shown that the Shamokin office is one of the most used in our region."
Chamber members agree that moving the office to Sunbury will not be beneficial to the Brush Valley region.
"This area does not have a mass transit system that allows people travel back and forth, so not only will people will have to worry about finding a job, but a ride, too," Altomare said. "It's going to put employment out of reach for people."
"It's also a two-way street," Winhofer said. "Employers use the CareerLink as well, finding quality employees for the jobs they need to fill."
All three believe the efforts of the lawmakers are paying off as CPWDC continue to look at different options before rushing into a decision. At their last meeting in February, the corporation's Workforce Investment Board voted to negotiate a month-by-month lease with Northumberland County for the Shamokin site.
"That shows that everyone realizes now that a lot of issues need to be looked at before a decision is made," Winhofer said.
Officials stress that whoever occupies the second floor offices will not be under the direction of the chamber.
"We don't want to run the offices," Altomare said. "We just want to help either keep CareerLink here, or be the catalyst to keep job development in the Brush Valley." LEWISBURG - Because of the closing of the CareerLink offices in Shamokin and Selinsgrove and several other issues requiring their attention, the Local Elected Officials board of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Center announced it will now meet on a monthly basis.
The board, consisting of one county commissioner each from the nine-county area the CPWDC serves, announced earlier this week that the meeting schedule would change. In the past, the board would meet quarterly on the same day as CPWDC's Workforce Information Board.
According to the CPWDC website, the Local Elected Officials board "serves, along with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), as the oversight body and ensures fiscal accountability of the CPWDC. The LEO Board have a crucial role in identifying and appointing the most qualified individuals to serve as members of the WIB."
With the new schedule, the board's next meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. at the CPWDC offices, at 1610 Industrial Blvd., Suite 500A in Lewisburg. Board members and the counties they represent are: Frank Sawicki, Northumberland; Malcolm Derk, Snyder; John Mathias, Union; Trevor Finn, Montour; Otis Riden, Mifflin; Jeff Wheeland, Lycoming; David Kovach, Columbia; and Thomas Bossert, Clinton; Rich Rogers, Clinton. The Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development and Governmental Affairs Committee will spearhead an initiative to investigate avenues to continue providing job development on the second floor of the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center building in Shamokin.
Our committee has met with many of the stakeholders involved with this issue. Our elected official are working toward keeping the Pa. CareerLink in Shamokin and The Brush Valley Chamber wholeheartedly supports the task force initiatives. Our position is to provide unified support for the Pa. CareerLink to remain in its present location providing the same level of support, but if CPWDC (Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation) does move the CareerLink, the Chamber will act to bring another entity in to the second floor that offers tenants the same services.
The focus will be on filling the second floor with a rent paying tenant. The funding streams for Pa. CareerLink have been identified and the Chamber will fight to keep that funding in this area.
We would like to see the second floor of the Career and Arts Center service employees and employers in the same fashion as it does now. This is one of the most active CareerLinks in the region. The ultimate goal of our chamber is to continue services on the second floor of this building for people who need work in our region.