PA CareerLink® truly partners with employers. We work one-on-one with your business to ensure the best possible mix of services and programs that will benefit you. Now is the time to embrace your community with employment opportunities and build your business—PA CareerLink® is here every step of the way. We have more than 50 offices statewide. Each one is an organization of public and private entities leveraging their resources to provide workforce development services. Because most services are federally funded, we can offer them at no cost to the businesses and individuals we serve. PA CareerLink® Southern Alleghenies includes Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Fulton, and Somerset Counties. PA CareerLink® can help you reduce your recruitment, hiring, and training costs. Find your county contact information below and engage locally to make a difference.

A registered PA CareerLink® employer in Bedford County since 2010, CEO and President Bob McGowan of Mission Critical Solutions (MCS) said, “MCS views PA CareerLink® as both a partner and a resource when it comes to economic development. We work closely with Rhonda Long, our Business Services Coordinator, to ensure that we are always aware of the programs that can help to grow our business in a strategic way and with an eye toward cost-savings.” For more on the PA CareerLink®-MCS partnership, read the Success Story below. MCS and all other PA CareerLink® registered employers enjoy one single point of contact, the one-stop service delivery of labor market information, workforce programs, and customization of services. Here’s a quick look at some services all free and available to your business right now, regardless of your county:

  • One-on-one Support – Just like job seekers can work directly with a Career Advisor, employers receive customized and personalized support to ensure the right mix of programs and services are used to benefit their organizations. Each employer who reaches out to PA CareerLink® has a dedicated liaison who works with them through job postings and all other services. For MCS, that longtime relationship is with Rhonda Long, Business Services Coordinator for the Bedford PA CareerLink® office. Find your local office below and get engaged today.
  • Job Postings – Newly unemployed job seekers are directed to PA CareerLink® services, and the job postings are some of the first they see. PA CareerLink® provides support using the site, entering positions and closely monitoring our talent pool of job seekers for a fit. Our one-on-one support includes recommendations on job postings to make them more enticing to job seekers. Once employers are registered with their applicable county, they can access and search the PA CareerLink® database for candidates and referrals from PA CareerLink® staff. PA CareerLink® Southern Alleghenies currently has 1,279 job postings. In Bedford County, job openings are also posted on their Facebook page every Thursday and sent to partner agencies in the local community. Services are at no cost to employers. There are no resume fees or posting booster fees.
  • Job Fairs – Job fairs can now be held on-site at most PA CareerLink® offices or they can be conducted through virtual platforms. PA CareerLink® coordinates, sets-up, plans and runs the job fairs. MCS has actively attended the larger job fairs that have been hosted in Bedford and surrounding counties. Most recently, MCS attended the job fair held in April for the Appvion dislocated workers from Blair County and surrounding areas. PA CareerLink® helps market the job fairs through social media.
  • Job Matching – PA CareerLink® matches job seekers to job postings. Like many job boards, there is a system-wide keyword search that matches job seeker skills to job descriptions, but PA CareerLink® also has the “people factor,” meaning that staff members connect daily with job seekers to get a deeper understanding of their abilities, and can find even better matches to employers’ needs. Remember, each job seeker that reaches out to us for personalized assistance gets a Career Advisor who works with them on job readiness and finding the right match. Employer liaisons review all candidates and meet with Career Advisors to find job seekers that are a match.
  • Market Data – PA CareerLink has a wealth of information about market demographics: what the wage ranges are by occupation; what the growth rates are for any field (top jobs); how many jobs are available by profession in the area; which pay a living wage; and which have the most potential for job seekers. This is beneficial not only for job seekers creating a career path but also for employers to understand what is going on in the labor pool, where they need to compete on wages, and who they are competing for. Your dedicated liaison will provide real-time labor market and salary information. For detailed market data, visit https://www.workstats.dli.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
  • On the Job Training – This program is an excellent fit for local employers with available full-time positions and a culture of training, see MCS highlighted below for a testimonial on their experience. PA CareerLink® reimburses employers who want to participate in the program for part of the trainees’ wages. Again, PA CareerLink® is there for the employer and the job seeker throughout the program. Since August 2020, seven On the Job Training employees saved Bedford County Employers approximately $50,000 in training costs through partial wage reimbursement.

Get Engaged

If your business could use some support with growth, take advantage of this local and valuable free resource. Stop into a PA CareerLink® office or call today. Locations, phone numbers, and open times are by county below.

PA CareerLink®-Bedford County
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm; Friday 9 am – 4 pm
Phone: 814-623-6107
TTY: 814-623-6029

PA CareerLink®-Blair County
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm; Friday 9 am – 4:30 pm
Phone: 814-940-6200
TTY: 814-569-1066

PA CareerLink®-Cambria County
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 am – 4 pm; Friday 9 am – 4 pm
Phone: 814-534-2500
TTY: 814-534-2511

PA CareerLink®-Huntingdon County
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm
Phone: 814-641-6408
TTY: 1-866-395-0149

Employment and Training Inc.
Affiliate site of the PA CareerLink® Huntingdon-Fulton County
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am – 4 pm
Phone: 717-485-5131
TTY: 717-485-3970

PA CareerLink®-Somerset County
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 am – 4 pm; Friday 9 am – 4 pm
Phone: 814-445-4161
TTY: 814-444-5814 

Success Story

Mission Critical Solutions (MCS) has used many PA CareerLink® services over the years, including the On the Job (OJT) Training Program to secure interns and full-time employees. As a result of the program, MCS has hired 7 OJT candidates and saved thousands of dollars in training costs since 2019. The MCS partnership with PA CareerLink® has been long standing since 2010. MCS exemplifies a company that makes full use of PA CareerLink services, from job postings to job fairs to OJT and beyond. The partnership runs deep.

Rhonda Long, MCS’ dedicated Business Services Coordinator, says that “MCS is an amazing employer to work with because they understand the purpose of the OJT program is to train and then retain. It’s nice to see how much the company has grown since 2010. It’s a great success story. MCS knows they can rely on us if they need us.”

The longtime partnership between MCS and PA CareerLink® Bedford has also included help with promotion and recruitment for other positions. Rhonda describes her role as one to assist employers in what they need to find the right job seekers. She describes Bob McGowan, President and CEO of MCS, as “demonstrating ongoing efforts to create and maintain manufacturing employment and training in our county.” MCS is a full-service metal fabrication and precision machining company in Alum Bank. They manufacture parts, assemblies, and finished goods for a diverse customer base that includes defense, rail, transportation, energy, mining, geotechnical and commercial entities.

Bob McGowan has always been dedicated to expanding Bedford County’s manufacturing sector. He started the business in 2008 after purchasing a 50,000 square foot facility left vacant four years prior when a tool manufacturer moved its production and jobs overseas. As McGowan recalls, “MCS started out as a 5-member organization; we’re now a team of almost 70. State programs administered by the Bedford PA CareerLink®, like On the Job Training (OJT), have certainly helped in our growth.” MCS has always made developing local talent a priority. As McGowan explains, “OJT allows us to try out an employee who requires training at a new skill while providing us with payroll savings. It’s a win-win for all parties. MCS has also participated in a number of CareerLink® job fairs to ensure that we stay current on both the skill sets offered by area residents, as well as the types of opportunities that our labor pool is looking for in their next position.”

Reach out today and get engaged with PA CareerLink®. Free valuable employer services are ready and in place for your business: grow your business and reduce your costs.