WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The pandemic is to blame for America’s worst unemployment crisis since the Great Depression and the commonwealth is especially hard-hit.
To address the need for workers, efforts are underway in our area to help people find jobs in industries with high employment demands. Project Pivot aims to help workers in Luzerne County accomplish their career goals.
The community initiative is lead by Wilkes-Barre Connect, the economic development arm of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re always trying to figure out the most innovative, new ways to connect the resources that we have and make it easy and these pathways accessible for people to know how to get from A to Z when we talk about what our career demands are locally,” Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Lindsay Griffin said.
The program gives participants access to more than 17,000 virtual LinkedIn learning courses at no cost thanks to a Cares Act investment. It also works with county businesses to provide their employees with skills to advance in their roles.
“For companies it’s so important because this is a free tool, that any company in Luzerne County can utilize and give free access to all of their employees to go to that next level, to become managers, to become advanced in their skillsets,” Griffin said.
Anyone can sign up and develop themselves professionally in fields of their choice.
“Healthcare, construction, retail, sales. All the different things that we’re looking a mainly now that we’re really needing to get into, a lot of those high-demand occupations,” Griffin said.
The project is a collaboration between local partners, including Pennsylvania Career Link of Luzerne County. As the pandemic continues, Griffin hopes it will benefit the area’s long-term economic success.
“Workforce has been a huge issue and something that we’re all struggling every day to figure out how we align and make sure that we have the workforce that we need,” Griffin said.
Residents and businesses in Luzerne County can register for the free program.
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