(Wilkes-Barre, PA, July 1, 2010) – Three companies awarded contracts by the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board in May to deliver employment and training programs in Luzerne and Schuylkill counties have completed their transition plans and began providing services to clients throughout the two counties today, the first day of their contracts, said Lucyann Vierling, executive director of the L/S WIB.
With expectations of better accountability and improved services, the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board’s actions to hire new providers will allow a larger percentage of the funding for 2010-2011 to reach program clients that include adult and dislocated workers and youth program employees, among others.
The board is also adopting new policies that will correct any past practices that may have led to the serious deficiencies uncovered during state and federal audits of past workforce program practices by the previous provider in Luzerne County, the Luzerne County Workforce Investment Development Agency (LCWIDA).
“We are working hard to implement new policies that will guide our WIB in the right direction to become a high-performing workforce investment board,” said Martha M. Herron, who chairs the workforce board of directors. “Lucyann Vierling is doing an excellent job of making sure that our board implements policies that will ensure that we are complying with all state and federal regulations, as well as serving the clients of Luzerne and Schuylkill counties to the best of our ability.”
When the contracts were awarded in May, the three companies that were chosen promised L/S WIB directors that they would interview all interested employees from LCWIDA and those from the ReDCo group in Schuylkill County who lost their jobs as a result of the new contracts.
Job fairs were held for the displaced employees by the three contractors and 35 of the 66 workers from Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and Pottsville attended the fairs. Forty-two of the 66 workers submitted applications and were all interviewed for positions with the new companies, Vierling said. The companies made job offers to 27 of those workers. Of those 27 employees,19 accepted jobs with the new companies; eight declined job offers, and three are still considering positions with the new providers.
“Some of the displaced workers found employment with other companies and some chose to pursue other interests,” Vierling said.
The three successful companies are EDSI, Inc.,The ReDCo Group, and Arbor Employment & Training.
