Greater Hazleton continues to attract many national and international companies because it retains a proud tradition as an area populated with a large labor pool of skilled and dedicated workers who have the knowledge and work ethic to instantly fill available job openings across all industry sectors.

Pennsylvania CareerLink Luzerne County Administrator Christine Jensen said she sees many eager job hunters at the hundreds of events her office hosts in Hazleton. More than 600 people with the background and skills to obtain immediate employment attended an annual job fair hosted by PA CareerLink and the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce earlier this year.

Jensen feels the area continues to maintain its reputation as a place where residents want to be employed.

“The PA CareerLink Luzerne County at Hazleton conducts hundreds of in-house recruitment events with local employers each year. Dozens of job seekers attend each of these events looking for jobs or to make a career change,” she said. “Northeast Pennsylvania has enjoyed a reputation for its above-average work ethic and the PA CareerLink Luzerne County office educates job seekers about the need to maintain this attitude.”

Northeast Pennsylvania shows such immediate promise for employers because the workforce takes full advantage of local resources to improve upon their existing skill sets and develop the necessary traits companies are looking for in their employees. Area residents have an advantage over other places across the country due to an abundance of resources that are available to help people gain the skills they need to be qualified workers in a variety of occupations, including those in the manufacturing industry.

“The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board and the PA CareerLink Luzerne County endeavor to work with employers to determine which skills are needed and to educate job seekers and students about these needed skills,” Jensen said.

The Hershey Company was able to expand its workforce in Hazleton by seeking help from the PA CareerLink staff. Hershey took advantage of an available training program and was able to hire a number of material handlers, molding operators, chocolate operators and packers.

Cargill Meat Solutions is another local business that knows how easy it is to find qualified workers through the PA CareerLink. The company employs more than 600 full-time employees at its Humboldt Industrial Park facility and has had great success utilizing the many benefits the CareerLink office in Hazleton offers.

“The Hazleton CareerLink office has been a key link to our hiring process. All applicants apply through the CareerLink with the assistance of the staff there. Their staff works very closely with our hiring team to be sure that applicants receive solid information about Cargill. They also are very quick to post our positions and even quicker to send us applications,” Cargill’s Hazleton manager said. “They have been a great help for us in helping local veterans find Cargill and learn about the various opportunities that are available. The CareerLink staff is a great asset to us and I would recommend their services without reservation.”