Aug. 15—WILKES-BARRE — Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier this week reminded Pennsylvanians that federal unemployment benefit programs, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), will end Sept. 4.

"The federal unemployment benefit programs that helped many workers during the most difficult days of the pandemic will soon end," Berrier said. "We encourage those receiving these temporary benefits to prepare for this change. L&I is working with its partner agencies and organizations to help identify programs and support services to help Pennsylvanians with this transition."

The state's regular unemployment compensation program and those receiving benefits from it are unaffected.

The federal pandemic-related unemployment programming ending include:

—Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)

PEUC provided additional weeks to individuals enrolled in the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program. When PEUC ends Sept. 4, UC will revert to providing up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits to eligible individuals. Individuals who have exhausted their 26 weeks of UC benefits will cease to receive benefit payments for weeks of unemployment after Sept. 4 under that claim.

—Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

PUA provides unemployment benefits to individuals who are not typically eligible for UC, such as gig workers and self-employed individuals. Individuals on the PUA program will cease to receive payments for weeks of unemployment after Sept. 4 unless they become eligible for the UC program.

—Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)

FPUC provides an additional $300 per week to individuals who are receiving at least $1 in other unemployment program benefits. For weeks of unemployment after Sept. 4, individuals will no longer receive the additional $300 per week and solely receive the benefit payment they are eligible for under UC.

Job search assistance available

L&I urges individuals currently enrolled in PEUC and PUA to take advantage of free job-seeker services offered through PA CareerLinks®. These services include access to a free job database, resume assistance, information about reskilling opportunities, and more.

On Aug. 12, PA CareerLink® locations across the state will offer job fairs, open houses, employer talks, and other free job-seeker activities as part of "PA CareerLink® Day — Join the Workforce in PA." Individuals seeking a new job are encouraged to attend and bring their resume. A full list of activities for each location is available here.

To schedule an appointment, please contact your local PA CareerLink® office. Find your county's contact information by visiting www.pacareerlink.pa.gov.

Applications for SNAP, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

Casey: New funding for

CEO food bank expansion

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, this week announced the inclusion of $250,000 in congressionally directed spending for the Commission on Economic Opportunity's food bank expansion project in the Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

The Commission on Economic Opportunity will use the funding for an expansion of the Weinberg Regional Food Bank in Jenkins Township. The project includes a 15,000 square foot addition and will help meet the need for food assistance in the region.

"COVID-19 exacerbated a food insecurity crisis that has left too many families worried about where their next meal will come from," Casey said. "The Commission on Economic Opportunity is reducing hunger with their Weinberg Regional Food Bank and, with this funding, will be able to provide assistance to even more families in the region. I applaud their work and I will continue to work to pass this spending bill to bring home critical resources to Luzerne County."

Gene Brady, CEO at the Commission on Economic Opportunity, said "During these difficult times we are going through and in order to provide food to so many new people in need, we are looking to expand our Food Bank, and we are so grateful for Senator Casey's support to enable us to move forward with this important project. We know that this will help thousands of people in need throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and ensure that they will not go hungry."

On Aug. 2, 2021, the FY22 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill was reported out of Committee on a vote of 25 to 5.

PennDOT seeks input for its

annual Highway Safety Survey

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced this week that it is seeking motorists' input on traffic safety and driving behaviors through its annual online Highway Safety Survey found at www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

"Safety is our top priority and we value continued public engagement in making our roadways safer," said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. "The results from this annual survey help us gauge participants' attitudes on highway safety, and potentially allow us to adjust our safety activities so we can further reduce crashes and fatalities."

The survey is available on PennDOT's website through August 23 and should take about five minutes to complete. All responses, including the "comments" fields, are anonymous.

Nearly 8,000 people responded to last year's survey, answering questions about safety habits such as seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding, and distracted driving. Notably, nearly 91 percent of respondents said they always wear a seat belt and approximately 88 percent said they never drive while impaired. When asked how often they choose to exceed the posted speed limit, nearly 84 percent of respondents said they speed at least some of the time.

"Speeding reduces a driver's ability to react to changing traffic or road conditions," Gramian said. "It puts you, your passengers, and others on the road at risk. Slow down, be safe."

For more information on our highway safety efforts, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.

L&I announces free statewide

virtual job training program

Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Sheila Ireland this week announced free online job training program SkillUp® PA will launch statewide Aug. 14 to help Pennsylvania job seekers gain the new skills they need to join the workforce or advance their career.

"SkillUp® PA is another great example of the Wolf Administration's efforts to help Pennsylvania workers and businesses," Ireland said. "This new virtual job training program is a true win-win for Pennsylvanians who need to enter the workforce or advance their career as well as the businesses who will get a new pipeline of the skilled workers they need to succeed."

As part of L&I's initiative to transform the workforce landscape, PA CareerLink® is bolstering its program offerings with SkillUp® PA and the new program's enhanced virtual options to support reskilling and upskilling Pennsylvania's workforce.

Following are some of the online trainings that will be available beginning August 14 through SkillUp® PA:

—Accounting/Finance

—Clerical

—Customer Service

—Human Resources

—Information Technology (IT)

—Marketing

—Microsoft Office

—Project Management

—Soft skills (communication, time management, professionalism, etc.)

Pennsylvanians interested in SkillUp® PA virtual training should visit PA CareerLink® at pacareerlink.pa.gov for more information, including how to register.

All commonwealth job seekers are strongly encouraged to register online with PA CareerLink® or reach out directly to their local offices to learn more about the multitude of free programs, services, and resources that are available, including:

—Job search and training assistance

—Adult education classes and workshops

—Résumé assistance

—Referral services to partners, and much more

Pennsylvania joins 17 other states that are using the SkillUp® program from Metrix Learning to help workforce populations update their skills and improve employment prospects. This learning program is already in use by job seekers, employers and community partners in both Lancaster and Lackawanna counties.

L&I is utilizing 100% federal funding under the Wagner-Peyser program for this online learning tool. The total dollar amount for the program for the next three years is $2.64 million ($880,000 annually).

Launched in July 2012, PA CareerLink® serves as a one-stop shop for many job seeker and business-related services. Pennsylvanians can find contact information and upcoming events or resources for their local PA CareerLink® by visiting www.pacareerlink.pa.gov.