At CareerLink Day event, Schuylkill Haven couple finds job search help

Sep. 12—POTTSVILLE — It's been several years since Jean Mawson found herself searching for a new job, but that's how she spent her Tuesday morning.

After seeing ads on Facebook and TV, she visited the Pennsylvania CareerLink building in Pottsville for its first CareerLink Day.

The event took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering two information sessions and opportunities to meet with four employers in the afternoon.

Mawson took to one of several computers to search for "something to keep us going, (and) pay the bills," she said.

Her husband, Rob, joined her. Jean Mawson said the two are "in a bind" after she lost her part-time job and her husband lost his full-time job.

Being in the workforce for 30 years with both a paralegal certificate and a bachelor's degree in criminology, Jean Mawson said she still has trouble finding an office job in Schuylkill County.

"It's tough job hunting," she said. "I hate to say that ... if I want something full-time, there's not much in this Schuylkill County area."

Searching on the CareerLink system allowed her to locate some jobs in the county, she said.

The Schuylkill Haven pair secured one interview each from their personal job-hunting endeavors, and noted they had a good experience using the CareerLink office's services. Therefore, they encourage anyone navigating the job market to visit the office as well.

Rob Mawson called the staff "very knowledgeable" and said he believes that not enough residents know the variety of services available.

His wife agreed.

"It's a resource we have in this county, and people need to know that it's here," she said. "They will help you with your resume, they will help you with job searching and they will help you with everything."

In her time working at CareerLink, Sharon Seiwell thinks the same. She currently operates as the Luzerne/Schuylkill business services team lead and previously worked as a career navigator. Although she no longer works closely with job seekers, she was hopeful the community would take advantage of CareerLink Day to learn about the services.

Site Administrator Sharon Angelo said there are over 6,000 training courses with over 130 credentials offered on SkillUp PA, a free online learning service offered through CareerLink.

Angelo and Seiwell both said that CareerLink serves both job seekers and employers.

Seiwell noted that the office offers a "multitude of workshops" ranging from how to write a resume to interview skills or how to job shadow. There are also financial incentives for employers and employees to seek further job training, she said.

Angelo called CareerLink Day "phenomenal," mentioning that the office had a "great turnout" of visitors — 95 people showed up throughout the day.

She holds similar expectations for attendance at the job fair in Fairlane Village mall in October.

"The job fair in October, we normally get about 80 vendors," she said. "I would say over the past couple of years it's been anywhere from several hundred to ... even as high as 1,500-1,800 people (in attendance)."

While the Pottsville CareerLink office on East Arch Street can't contain a crowd that large, Angelo said the staff still wants to help the larger community, whether it be through training, employment assistance or youth programs with partner agencies.

"We are so much more than just the employment office," she said.