Workforce Development

 

youth1
Employment and Training Services

Services are provided at the following locations of the PA CareerLink℠ Southern Alleghenies:

PA CareerLink Cambria County, 445 Schoolhouse Road, Johnstown, PA 15904

PA CareerLink Blair County, 3001 Fairway Drive, Altoona, PA 16602

PA CareerLink Bedford County, 1 Corporate Drive, Suite 103, Bedford, PA 15522

Youth

Visiting the PA CareerLink in Cambria County, Blair County, and Bedford County is a great way for youth to explore employment supports available from federal- and state-funded programs. Goodwill operates the Title I Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) services at the PA CareerLink in these counties.

The PA CareerLink has programs designed to help youth reach their career and educational goals.

Services for youth ages 14–24 include:

  • Career and postsecondary school exploration and transition activities
  • Paid and unpaid work experiences — with both academic and occupational education components
  • Occupational skills training, focusing on industry-recognized postsecondary credentials and in-demand occupations for our region
  • Leadership development activities that encourage responsibility, employability, and other pro-social behaviors as well as decision-making skills, determining priorities, life skills, work behavior training, budgeting resources, and keeping informed of community affairs and events
  • Financial literacy education
  • Entrepreneurial skills training
  • Internships and pre-apprenticeship programs
  • Follow-up services for at least 12 months after program completion

Youth with Disabilities

Youth with disabilities who are ages 16–24 and are not attending school are eligible for out-of-school services. Youth with disabilities who are up to the age of 24 are eligible for in-school services if they meet low-income guidelines or other eligibility criteria and are enrolled in secondary or postsecondary school of any kind within the last school calendar quarter. It is very likely that youth with disabilities will meet the low-income guidelines for in-school youth because income for youth with disabilities is determined based only on the youth’s income, not his/her family’s income.

Any youth with a disability who is eligible for government cash assistance programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), is automatically eligible for WIOA youth services.

Up to 5 percent of participants in local WIOA youth programs do not have to meet the low- income guidelines.

More choices are now available at the PA CareerLink than in the past for people with disabilities. Individuals who need more than the basic services that are offered by the CareerLink may also apply for vocational rehabilitation services at the same location.

A visit to the CareerLink also makes for a great career exploration activity for youth for an Individual Education Plan (IEP), or a possible resource for a youth self-advocate who is looking for adult employment support options.

For more information, please contact the following:

PA CareerLink: Sarah Helman at (814) 533-2493, ext. 272 or shelman@gogoodwill.org.

Click here to visit the PA CareerLink Cambria County Facebook Page.

Click here to visit the PA CareerLink Blair County Facebook Page.

Click here to visit the PA CareerLink Bedford County Facebook Page.

Online Shopping at Goodwill

Through the Shopgoodwill online auction site, you can experience a fun and exciting way to shop for specialty items such as one-of-a-kinds, collectibles, antiques, estate pieces, jewelry, nostalgic items, and more!

At Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies, we know that our donors value their donations to Goodwill and want us to get the maximum value possible to support our mission. Listing these items on Shopgoodwill allows us to generate more revenue because these items go to the highest bidders who know the values of the items.

Donors can be sure that the revenue generated from the sale of their donated items on Shopgoodwill.com will support job training and employment services for people in their community – just as it does through purchases made in our 10 Goodwill Retail Stores.