A Letter on Workforce Initiatives

Dear Chamber Members:

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and our workforce development affiliate, Skills in Scranton, are working to support member businesses with pandemic economic recovery. In the past year we’ve held numerous webinars, industry collaborative meetings, and conducted one-on-one interviews with many Chamber members.

Through the outreach, we learned that workforce is a common concern – specifically the availability and access to a qualified labor pool. To assist our members with their workforce needs, we’ve implemented three new programs.

  • Workforce Wednesday: Each week, one Chamber member business will join us to share information about job openings and company culture. The programs are hosted on Zoom and available on Facebook.
  • Chamber Job Board: The Chamber recently launched a new Job Board for members to open positions at no cost.  
  • Small Business Internship Fund: If you are looking for help to grow your business, the Chamber can match you with a college student that can work virtually or on-site. We have access to a pool of students who are ready to gain real-world experience and are immediately available to work or intern. Qualified Chamber members can receive funding to offset internship wages.

To learn more about these Chamber workforce development programs, contact Brianna Florovito at bflorovito@scrantonchamber.com or 570-342-7711.

Sincerely,

Bob Durkin
Chamber President
Patrick Fricchione Jr.
Chamber Board Chair

Commissioners Announce Lackawanna County COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Grant Program

Lackawanna County Commissioners approved $2,374,844 million in funding to provide grants to eligible hospitality and accommodation businesses through the Lackawanna County COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Grant Program. 

The program will provide grants up to $25,000 to eligible businesses in Lackawanna County.

“The hospitality industry has been hit very hard by the pandemic. The majority of our well-established area restaurants and small eateries were reduced to take-out or capacity restrictions, while our hotels saw a huge drop-off in guest room bookings.  We are very pleased to provide some assistance again in conjunction with our partner, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.  Together, we will utilize our resources to assist these sectors to get on the road to economic recovery,” the Board of Commissioners stated.  

In February, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania earmarked $145 million to establish the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Grant Program. The funding was distributed through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to Lackawanna County.

The County will partner with MetroAction, the small business affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, to administer the program and provide technical assistance to grant applicants and awardees. 

Information on the grant program is available at www.metroaction.org. Businesses are encouraged to read program guidelines and gather required program documents. Businesses will be able to submit a grant application for a two-week time frame or until program funding is exhausted.

The grant application will open on March 8.

READ GUIDELINES

State of the City with Mayor Cognetti

Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will give the 2021 State of the City address from Scranton City Hall on Wednesday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m.

Mayor Cognetti will give remarks on Scranton’s challenges and opportunities and illustrate how our community has come together during this unprecedented period of crisis.

The address will be live streamed via Zoom, at Youtube.com/ECTV, and Comcast Channel 19.

Viewers can dial-in at +16465588656,,88596704167# or use Meeting ID: 885 9670 4167 (no password required).

COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Response Program

Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and in partnership with the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Response Program to match college students and recent graduates with Lackawanna County pharmacies and medical practices for temporary, non-clinical work related to COVID-19 vaccinations.

“Our organization is honored to support such a timely and historic program. The work that comes from this program not only provides young college students and professionals with real world experience, but will also make a significant impact on many lives in the Lackawanna County community,” said Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

Whether you’re looking for supplemental employment or just want to make a difference, we encourage those who qualify to join the fight against COVID-19. The positions involve COVID-19 data administration functions as well as customer service support.

Eligible employees must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Be a resident of Lackawanna County and currently enrolled in a college or university or 2020 college or university graduate
  • Be a student currently enrolled in a Lackawanna County college or university and residing in Lackawanna County
  • Be a student currently enrolled at a Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce member college or university and living in Lackawanna County

The positions are available for immediate hire and will stay open on a rolling basis. Those interested in applying can visit www.scrantonchamber.com/vaccineprogram.

LEARN MORE

For more information on the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Response Program contact Amy Luyster at aluyster@scrantonchamber.com or 570-342-7711.

2021 SAGE Finalists Announced

The Chamber announced the finalists for the 2021 SAGE Awards, the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence live on Zoom. The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation. The winners will be announced on Friday, March 19 at the Chamber Gala, a hybrid event held at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center and live via Zoom.

This year’s SAGE Awards have been enhanced to honor and recognize the innovation our local businesses employed due to COVID-19. In addition, we created the new IMPACT Award for 2021, which includes three categories: Community Outreach, People and Culture, and Products and Services. 

Close to 100 applications were received for this year’s awards and nearly 40 community leaders and professionals volunteered to review applications and select finalists. The Chamber is proud to honor businesses that are making valuable contributions to the region and contributing to our overall quality of life.

In addition, all award finalists can also win the People’s Choice Award, where the winner will be chosen by a community wide online vote from Monday, March 1 through Friday, March 5.

VIEW FINALISTS

2021 ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient Announced

Marion Munley, Esq. (center) with (l to r) Kristine Augustine, Chamber; Mari Potis, Chamber; Donna Barbetti, Michael A Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants; and Melinda Ghilardi, Esq., Munley Law.

We are pleased to announce Marion Munley, Esq., Munley Law, as the 2021 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient.

Marion embodies the character of the ATHENA Award, which honors an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful way and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.

“Marion is an exceptional example of a community leader paving the way for others. She fights for her clients, commits time to the Lackawanna County community, and ensures the mentorship of young women with careers in law,” says Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “She is an admirable and deserving recipient of this prestigious award.”

For more than 30 years, Marion has made her mark in the male-dominated area of trucking law as a dedicated and skilled litigator, taking lead on some of Pennsylvania’s largest and groundbreaking legal victories. For a decade Marion provided free legal services to those in need at the Hope Center for Northeastern Pennsylvania. She has supported Lackawanna Pro Bono for more than 20 years, sponsors scholarships at the University of Scranton, Marywood University and Johnson College, as well as contributes to many other local charitable organizations.

Marion mentors young women aspiring to or beginning a career in law. Particularly at Munley Law, she makes herself available for advice and questions and ensures they have a role in the firm’s big cases, local networking events, and national conferences. In 2020, Marion received the AAJ’s Marie Lambert Award for her commitment to the legal profession, her community, and the advancement of women in law.

The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan and has grown to include presentations to more than 5,000 individuals in hundreds of cities in the United States as well as in Canada, China, Russia and the United Kingdom. The award takes the form of a hand-cast bronze sculpture symbolizing the strength, courage and wisdom of the recipient. The ATHENA Award® Program is nationally underwritten by General Motors and National City Bank. Local sponsorship is provided by Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants.