The PA CareerLink® offers a variety of workshops virtually and in the office including Resume Writing, Ace the Interview, Excel for Beginners, Word for Beginners, Computer Basics, and Career Exploration, and Job Club.
Do you need to upgrade your skills in order to get a better job? Visit our office to learn about education and training programs offered by local community organizations, community colleges, universities, and trade schools.
Examples of our training programs include: apprenticeships, occupational skills training, on-the-job training, and work experience.
You may qualify to receive funding for training services through the PA CareerLink® in Luzerne or Schuylkill County if you:
- Reside in Luzerne or Schuylkill County
- Have a High School diploma or GED prior to the start of your training program
- Lack any marketable or in-demand skills
- Intend to obtain full-time employment related to the training completed through our funding
- Request training in a High Priority Occupation for the Luzerne/Schuylkill County region
- Obtain the minimum WorkKeys® scores aligned with your occupational choice
- Gain acceptance into a training program that is on the Statewide Approved Training Provider list
- Complete training within 24 months from the start date
The PA CareerLink® offers eligible young adults, ages 16-24, the opportunity to attend on-site GED preparation classes. Through a combination of classroom and one-on-one instruction, participants can work and test at their own pace.
If you do not qualify for our on-site classes, our community partners can help you achieve your GED goal. To learn more about FREE GED preparation classes at our office, click here.
If you don’t meet our age requirement, you can learn more about GED classes at Luzerne County Community College here.
The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides vocational rehabilitation services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment. OVR provides services to eligible individuals with disabilities, both directly and through a network of approved vendors. Services are provided on an individualized basis. The OVR counselor, during face-to-face interviews, assists customers in selecting their choice of vocational goals, services and service providers. An Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) is developed, outlining a vocational objective, services, providers and responsibilities. Certain services are subject to a Financial Needs Test (FNT) and may require financial participation by the customer. Counseling and guidance, diagnostic services, assessments, information and referral, job development and placement, and personal services such as readers or sign language interpreters are provided at no cost to the individual. Also, by law OVR customers receiving Social Security benefits for their disability (SSI, SSDI) are exempt from OVR’s Financial Needs Test.
For more information on the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, please click here.
PA CareerLink® Luzerne County at Wilkes-Barre works with local English as a Second Language (ESL) providers to assist job seekers who speak limited English.
For more information on ESL classes, please contact Luzerne County Community College at 1-800-377-5222 ext. 7325.
The Employment, Advancement and Retention Network (EARN) Program was created in 1987 in order to address the needs of welfare recipients with barriers to employment and to better coordinate the existing employment and training programs available for them.
The purpose of EARN is to address the needs of welfare and low income individuals with serious barriers to gaining and maintaining employment by providing comprehensive case management, remediation, education with special emphasis on individuals with limited English proficiency, skills training, work activities, job placement and retention activities, as well as providing supportive services, including payment for childcare. Included in EARN are services especially designed to meet the needs of out-of-school pregnant and parenting youth between the ages of 18 to 22, as well as non-assistance custodial or non-custodial fathers. Work activities in EARN include unsubsidized employment, subsidized employment, paid work experience, and community service.
Enrollment for the program is done through the local County Assistance Office.
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors.
SCSEP participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including schools, hospitals, day-care centers, and senior centers. The program provides over 40 million community service hours to public and non-profit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants.
For more information on the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), please click here.
The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) aims to lessen the hardship felt by all individuals impacted by economic hardships, whether as business owners or as employees. In today’s globalized and highly competitive economy, businesses are continuously facing new challenges. A trained workforce is but one of those challenges in successfully competing and prospering in today’s market. The Rapid Response Service Team provides a proactive, customized approach in addressing specific business needs or challenges as they arise. Services can include assistance in business partnerships in competitive markets, layoff aversion, coordination of business closure to maximize public and private resources, or re-employment of impacted workers. In addition, Rapid Response has access to available skilled workers for rapid growth to maintain a competitive edge. For more information, please click here.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program allows workers whose jobs have been affected by foreign competition to receive a variety of benefits and reemployment services. The goal of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program is to assist dislocated workers in obtaining suitable (family-sustaining) employment from a combination of reemployment services and possibly training. For more information, please click here.
Dedicated personnel will help you through the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program. To learn more about the step-by-step process, please view the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program video series, providing you with a comprehensive overview of what to expect.
