RESOURCES
EMPLOYER RESOURCES
Pennsylvania offers qualified employers the opportunity to train new and existing employees through the Guaranteed Free Training (GFT) Program offered through WEDnetPA ( www.wednetpa.com )
The Department of Planning & Community Development serves as the administrative body for the Greene County Planning Commission, the Tax Abatement Program, and Solid Waste and Recycling and reports directly to the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
The focus of the Greene County Industrial Development Authority is on economic development, specifically the creation, attraction and retention of business. They offer financial assistance through bond issues, Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loans, Machinery and Equipment Loan Financing (MELF), conventional financing, bridge financing, etc. GCIDA is the lead agency for industrial recruitment and expansion in Greene County. Through the support of local government, GCIDA provides “one‐stop shopping” for manufacturing and distribution investors interested in site locations for new or expanding operations.
The Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov) offers plain English description of the federal tax code as it relates to all forms of business. This site allows you to download most business tax forms.
The National Business Incubator Association (www.nbia.org) is the leading source of information for the business incubator industry. NBIA offers professional development activities that help business assistance professionals create and administer effective incubation programs.
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (www.osha.gov) offers a complete listing and comprehensive description of all‐federal regulations and standards that businesses must comply with regarding employee safety and health issues.
Pennsylvania Work Stats Center for Workforce Information and Analysis provides access to labor market data and occupational profiles.
The Federal Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) maintains a virtual library of useful and extensive information on starting, expanding or financing business ventures. Complete listing and eligibility requirements for federal business loan programs and research grants.
The US Census Bureau (www.census.gov) maintains an enormous website containing almost every social, demographic or economic statistic required for business planning and marketing. Economic indicators updated daily.
The US Department of Commerce (www.doc.gov) offers a broad range of useful business information including exporting, developing innovative technologies, economic growth measurements, granting patents and promoting minority entrepreneurship.
The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) provides impartial, timely, and accurate data related to social and economic conditions affecting the nation’s workers and their families.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov) offers general as well as technical information on all aspects of intellectual property protection, patents, trademarks and service marks.
Washington County Industrial Development Corporation (www.washingtoncountyworks.com) promotes economic growth in Washington County. The dynamic public and private venture was formed in 1999 to provide a business‐driven, customer focused approach to economic development.
The PA Department of Labor requires Pennsylvania employers to post certain notices at their worksites so employees have access to information about applicable labor laws. Please CLICK HERE to visit the website where you can view and download all the information.
What are Next Generation Sector Partnerships? Next Generation Sector Partnerships are partnerships of businesses, from the same industry and in a shared labor market region, who work with education, workforce development, economic development and community organizations to address competitiveness needs of the targeted industry. –The Southwest Corner Next Generation Manufacturing Partnership is an industry-driven effort to take action on the priorities that most impact manufacturers and their ability to grow and thrive here in this region. VISIT: www.manufacturingswpa.com or EMAIL: info@manufacturingswpa.com to learn more about these opportunities. —
JOB SEEKER RESOURCES
Job Training for Beaver County (www.jtbc.org )
PA CareerLink (https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov)
PA Department of Labor & Industry (www.dli.pa.gov )
Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board (www.southwestcornerwdb.com)
US Department of Labor (www.dol.gov)
Washington Greene County Job Training Agency, Inc. (www.washingtongreene.org)
Southwest Corner County Governments
Greene County (www.co.greene.pa.us)
Washington County (www.washingtoncopa.gov)
Beaver County ( www.beavercountypa.gov )
Support Services
Commute Info (www.commuteinfo.org) helps job seekers and employers in southwestern PA find alternatives to getting to work, other than driving alone. Our region includes 10 counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland. The commuter can be going to school or to work and must have at least one end of their commute within the 10 county area.
Literacy Council of Southwestern PA The purpose of the Literacy Council is to promote literacy by teaching low‐level & non‐reading adults basic literacy skills using trained tutors & by generating community awareness & support. (http://www.lcswpa.org)
Freedom Transit( www.freedom-transit.org ) The mission of Freedom Transit is to promote and provide high quality, cost-effective transportation to the citizens of Washington County and surrounding areas as appropriate, especially older adults, persons with disabilities, veterans, and economically disadvantaged individuals, including those on Medical Assistance.
Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority ( www.mmvta.com )The mission of MMVTA is to provide transit services for its member municipalities and help revitalize the Mid Mon Valley. This is a great resource for transportation assistance.
PA Unemployment Compensation Benefits ( www.uc.pa.gov ) Visit the PA Unemployment Compensation’s website to get the most up to date information or to file for UC benefits. Click HERE to get some quick information on UC hours or operation, email, etc.
Resume and Employment Guide for People with Disabilities (www.resumebuilder.com) This website can help individuals with disabilities create an impactful resume that can highlight their skills and value to potential employers. This guide includes important insight such as laws that protect their rights, workplace discrimination, and harassment to ensure they receive a fair chance at achieving their career goal.
SOUTHWEST CORNER HIGH PRIORITY OCCUPATION LIST
EDUCATOR/SCHOOL RESOURCES
PA Career Education Work Standards
Pennsylvania’s economic future depends on having a well-educated and skilled workforce. No student should leave secondary education without a solid foundation in Career Education and Work. It is the rapidly changing workplace and the demand for continuous learning and innovation on the part of the workers that drive the need to establish academic standards in Career Education and Work. Through a comprehensive approach, Career Education and Work Standards complement all disciplines and other academic standards. If Pennsylvania’s students are to succeed in the workplace, there are certain skills that they need to obtain prior to graduation from high school. These skills have been identified in the Career Education and Work Standards, but it is up to individual school districts to decide how they are to be taught. Districts can implement integration strategies within existing disciplines or can implement stand-alone courses to specifically address these standards. www.pacareerstandards.com Click on Pennsylvania Department of Education to learn more.
PHEAA is an organization specializing in making college affordable, offering both loans and assistance in finding out what you need to make your college experience rich and rewarding. www.pheaa.org
Education Planner
Whether you are a high school student deciding what you want to be, or a parent figuring out how to pay for college, this is your one-stop career and college planning site. www.educationplanner.org
Teachers Domain Teachers’ Domain is a free digital media service for educational use from public broadcasting and its partners. You’ll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities. http://www.teachersdomain.org/
ERIC – the Education Resources Information Center – is an online digital library of education research and information. ERIC is sponsored by theInstitute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. ERIC provides ready access to education literature to support the use of educational research and information to improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision-making, and research.www.eric.ed.gov
TG’s Adventures In Education (AIE™) is a public-service website developed to help students plan and complete their journey through higher education. By providing free resources to students, parents, counselors, and educators, AIE encourages individuals to discover and pursue educational opportunities. AIE promotes a better tomorrow by preparing students and families for the adventure today.www.aie.org
CareerOneStop Career information for students and career advisors.
EducatorLabs is comprised of school librarians and media/market research specialists who work as curators and conservators of the scholastic web. They collate high-quality digital resources that complement and enhance modern curricula with information for the benefit of: educators and instructors; parents; students; study groups; & researchers.
College Degrees Online is a website with a large database of online degree programs. Search programs in Pennsylvania, as well as those offered all over the country. This website will link you to financial aide information, federal resources and more. Visit the Teaching Degrees website to access an abundance of information specific to online teaching degrees.
SOUTHWEST CORNER HIGH PRIORITY OCCUPATION LIST
Pennsylvania’s workforce development strategy targets education and training dollars to High Priority Occupations: job categories that are in demand by employers, have higher skill needs and are most likely to provide family-sustaining wages. 2022 WDA HPO Lists
Additional information on HPOs in Pennsylvania CLICK HERE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
Greene County Industrial Development (www.gcidc.org)
Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commence (www.mvrchamber.org)
PA CareerLink (https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov)
Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board (www.southwestcornerwdb.com)
US Department of Labor (www.dol.gov)
Washington County Chamber of Commerce (www.washcochamber.com)
Washington County Council on Economic Development ( www.washingtoncountypa.org )
Washington Greene County Job Training Agency, Inc. (www.washingtongreene.org)
OLDER WORKER RESOURCES
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) (www.aarp.org/working_options) offers a guide for older workers with tips including resume writing and overcoming employment barriers faced by mature workers. It also lists places to acquire new job skills and find job opportunities.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (www.aging.pa.gov) offers a wide range of information on older individuals and employment services. Many of the agencies have employment programs, job banks and career fairs.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, Inc. (www.swpa-aaa.org) develops and manages the overall service system for the older adults of Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties.
Social Security Online – www.ssa.gov
MYTHS ABOUT OLDER WORKERS
There are numerous stereotypes about older workers that simply aren’t true. Here are some of those myths — along with the reality.
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- Myth: Older workers can’t or won’t learn new skills.
Reality: Those over 50 are proving their ability to learn new skills by becoming the fastest growing group of Internet users and career-changers in their 40s and 50s are taking courses to enhance their skills.
- Myth: Older workers can’t or won’t learn new skills.
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- Myth: Older workers don’t stay on the job long.
Reality: Workers between 45 and 54 stayed on the job twice as long as those 25 to 34, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Myth: Older workers don’t stay on the job long.
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- Myth: Older workers take more sick days than younger workers.
Reality: Attendance records are actually better for older workers than for younger ones.
- Myth: Older workers take more sick days than younger workers.
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- Myth: Older workers aren’t flexible or adaptable.
Reality: Because they’ve seen many approaches fail in the workplace, they are more likely to question change. But they can accept new approaches as well as younger workers can as long as the rationale is explained.
- Myth: Older workers aren’t flexible or adaptable.
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- Myth: Older workers are more expensive.
Reality: The costs of more vacation time and pensions are often outweighed by low turnover among older workers and the fact that higher turnover among other groups translates into recruiting, hiring, and training expenses.
- Myth: Older workers are more expensive.
YOUTH RESOURCES
Greene County School Districts
- Carmichaels Area School District (www.carmarea.org)
- Central Greene School District (www.cgsd.org)
- Jefferson‐Morgan School District (www.jmsd.org)
- Southeastern Greene School District (www.segsd.org)
- West Greene School District (www.wgsd.org )
Washington County School Districts
- Avella School District (www.avella.k12.pa.us)
- Bentworth School District (www.bentworth.org)
- Bethlehem‐Center School District (www.bcasd.net)
- Burgettstown School District (www.burgettstown.k12.pa.us)
- California Area School District (www.calsd.org)
- Canon McMillan School District (www.cmsd.k12.pa.us)
- Charleroi Area School District (www.charleroisd.org)
- Chartiers Houston School District (www.chbucs.k12.pa.us)
- Fort Cherry School District (www.fortcherry.org)
- McGuffey High School (www.mcguffey.k12.pa.us)
- Peters Township School District (www.ptsd.k12.pa.us)
- Ringgold School District (www.ringgold.org)
- Trinity School District (www.trinitypride.k12.pa.us)
- Washington School District (http://www.washington.k12.pa.us/)
Career & Technical Schools
- Greene County Career & Technology Center (www.greenectc.org)
- Mon Valley Career & Technology Center (http://www.monvalleyctc.org)
- Western Area Career & Technology Center (www.wactc.net)
Other Youth Resources
- Youth Services America: (www.ysa.org)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook Official career listing of the US Department of Labor
- PA Career Zone: (www.pacareerzone.org) The place to learn about the many exciting careers in Pennsylvania.
- Scholarships.com This site has had one goal: to help students find the money they need to get through college. It is the largest independent online source for free college scholarship searches and financial aid information.
- PA Career Standards: This electronic toolkit provides resources, references, crosswalks and other tools to assist elementary, middle and high schools teachers and administrators in implementing the Pennsylvania (PA) Career Education and Work Standards.
College Prep Tests
ACT – A national college admissions examination
GMAT – Interested in business? This is for you.
PSAT – Get ready for the SAT exam and qualify for a National Merit scholarship
SAT I & II – A national college admission examination
March2Success
A public service of the United States Army, March 2 Success is a web-based program designed to assist high school students in the ninth grade and above improve their performance on tests of math, science, and English, ACT and SAT preparation, state standardized tests, and their overall test-taking skills. There is no set number of tests each user can access, and tests can be retaken until the user is comfortable with the results. The program is free and completely confidential. Users will not be contacted by Army recruiters unless that contact is specifically requested. Content for the various tools was provided by Peterson’s, Educational Options, and the College Options Foundation.
LABOR MARKET INFORMATION
Want to know what the types of jobs are booming across the state? Want to see what the PA Unemployment rates are?
Well, here is the page where we will try to get that information to you and more! Labor Market Information helps to educate people on Workforce Development needs and trends. This information can help a number of different groups of people including those seeking employement, employers looking for the trends in the local area and numerous other groups.
For lots of interesting facts and information concerning Labor Market Information, stop and visit The Center for Workforce Information & Analysis, Pennsylvania’s Workforce Statistics website (CLICK HERE) and gather tons of information!