Many opportunities presented at job fair

FOLLANSBEE -- From positions in an assortment of trades to financial aid available for training through local colleges, there were a variety of opportunities available to job hunters who attended a job fair held Thursday at the Follansbee Community House.

The event was a collaboration of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, the Follansbee and Weirton Area chambers of commerce and West Virginia Northern Community College spurred, in part, by the impending closing of the Mountain State Carbon plant.

While Cleveland-Cliffs, the plant's owner, has indicated the plant's 288 employees will be offered positions at other facilities, organizers of the job fair said they wanted to help them stay in this area.

But the event was open to anyone looking for work.

Among potential employers on hand was Joe Lombardi, director of business development at Lombardi Development of Follansbee, who said, "I've had a couple of people say, are you local? You can't get more local than us."

Lombardi said with some long-time staff retiring in the not-distant future, the construction company needs experienced supervisors, skilled carpenters and laborers, with experience helpful but not required for lower-level positions.

He said in recent years, the construction industry has suffered from a shortage of workers. He said it seemed for a while many high school students were encouraged to pursue white collar positions, while there are many good paying positions in skilled trades.

Representatives of West Virginia Northern Community College and Eastern Gateway Community College were on hand to discuss programs created to fill that void and others.

Karri Jasko Mulhern, executive director of business services and corporate training at WVNCC; said in addition to associate degree programs in various fields, the school offers several short-term training programs, including a welding institute in which students attend daylong training sessions over a few summer months.

She noted some students have received full tuition through the West Virginia Invests program, which aids West Virginians at certain income levels who have attained a high school diploma or equivalent, perform a small number of community service hours and remain in the state for at least two years following graduation.

Mulhern said as training requirements for the commercial driver license have become stricter, the college has seen a growing number of current and aspiring drivers enter its CDL program.

She added scholarships are available through a private foundation for participants in both the welding and CDL programs.

Information about such programs can be found at www.wvncc.edu/programs/degree-completion-and-occupational-development.

Amelia Taggart, director of workforce at EGCC, said the school offers training for future electricians and machinists, positions highly sought by local industries, among other occupations, with detailed information available at https://egcc.edu/workforce-development.

She added the Union Plus program offers a free college benefit for students in assorted associate degree programs who are current or retired union members, their spouses or domestic partners, children, grandchildren, parents or sons- or daughters-in-law.

It is among a number of financial aid options available at EGCC, she noted.

Also participating in the job fair was Geno Taglione, human resources manager for Trinity Health System, who said high school graduates are sought for several positions in maintenance, environmental services and the dietary department.

Taglione said the many benefits for Trinity employees include tuition assistance to aid existing staff in receiving training to serve as phlebotomists, radiology technicians, nurse's aides or in other specialized positions.

Christine Smith, administrative coordinator for the American Job Center, said services offered by the nonprofit organization include the Individual Training Account program, which provides up to $9,500 for West Virginians on unemployment to receive up to two years of training for in-demand fields.

She said the amount is slated to rise to $11,000 in July.

Smith said through its various programs, the center's offices in Weirton, Wheeling and New Martinsville, have helped young adults 24 and under, dislocated workers and West Virginians on unemployment to pursue training as commercial drivers, health care workers, welders, heavy equipment operators and medical transcriptionists, among other positions.

Information about the center can be found at www.npworkforcewv.org.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)