The Chamber Launches New Workforce Development Resource

Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, has launched a new video series promoting career awareness and highlighting high-priority occupations in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Chamber and its affiliate, Skills in Scranton, are focused on implementing resources to the greater Scranton region as it promotes high-priority jobs. The mission of The Chamber is to attract, sustain, and grow businesses—the new set of career awareness videos will assist in attracting and sustaining employment in the community.

The eight videos in the series are told from employees’ perspectives in diverse industries such as logistics, transportation, healthcare, and elementary education. Viewers will gain valuable insight into the qualifications, training pathways, and employment opportunities for the high-priority careers.

“Career awareness is crucial for empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their professional journey. By shedding light on the occupations available in our area, The Chamber and Skills in Scranton hope to address the skills gap and support a robust talent pipeline in northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Emily Pettinato, workforce development specialist at The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

The career awareness video series is made available at SkillsinScranton.com. The videos are supplemented with additional resources, such as a career guide about key tasks and skills, local educational programs, training opportunities, and local employers.

Watch the Videos

About The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the area’s economic environment and quality of life by offering programs and services which stimulate economic growth, promote business prosperity and nurture educational opportunities. For more information about the Chamber, visit www.scrantonchamber.com.

About Skills in Scranton
Skills in Scranton, an affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, focuses on workforce development in the greater Scranton region. For more than 25 years, Skills in Scranton has worked with local employers, school districts, higher education institutions, and Pennsylvania data experts to implement strategies that help ensure our regional workforce is aligned with high-priority jobs of the future. For more information, visit www.SkillsinScranton.com

Educator in the Workplace Finishes 2023 Cohort

Scranton, PA—Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, concluded the 2023 Educator in the Workplace (EIW) program on Thursday, May 4. The program was partially funded by the City of Scranton American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Non-Profit COVID Relief Grant and sponsored by Pennsylvania American Water and the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

Twenty-six participants, including teachers, school counselors, principals, administrators, and school board directors, participated in the cohort, learning about Northeastern PA’s in-demand careers and industries. Various sessions included a State of the Workforce presentation, tour of the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, an in-depth look into manufacturing regionally, on-site business tours, presentations by CareerLink Lackawanna and a facilitated curriculum writing session.

“The EIW program provides an opportunity for educators to learn from and network with community business leaders and peers from adjacent school districts,” said Emily Pettinato, workforce development specialist, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “Participants share best practices, career pathways resources and essential career skills that can be brought back to their districts and integrated into classroom instruction. The resources provided by the EIW program is supporting the development of a robust regional talent pipeline.”

Throughout the 2023 EIW program, the participants have applied what was learned during the program integrating basic workforce skills into classroom instruction. Takeaway lessons included interviewing, resume writing, clocking into class to earn credit, and simulating real-time workplace practices.

The Chamber and Skills in Scranton have begun preparations for next year’s EIW cohorts.  For more information or to register for future EIW programs, contact Emily Pettinato at epettinato@scrantonchamber.com or visit www.SkillsinScranton.com.

The 2023 Educator in the Workplace participants Include:

  1. Johanna Chorba, Scranton School District
  2. Thomas Murray, Scranton School District
  3. Hayley Miller, Scranton School District
  4. Laurie Marino, Valley View School District
  5. John Fox, Riverside School District
  6. Richard Hensel, Scranton School District
  7. Karlene Cicco, Scranton School District
  8. Bonnie Baker, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
  9. Samantha Masco, Carbondale Area School District
  10. Licia Olivetti, Carbondale Area School District
  11. Dalyana Gillette, Scranton School District
  12. John Ray, Scranton School District
  13. Nanine Gramigna, Scranton School District
  14. Jessica Norris, Scranton School District
  15. Gabrielle Pidgeon, Carbondale Area School District
  16. Amanda O’Brien, Scranton School District
  17. Carrie Wittenbrader, Western Wayne School District
  18. Jessica Capwell, NEIU19
  19. Melinda Arcuri, Marywood University Adult Basic Literacy Education Program
  20. Sandy Morahan, Forest City School District
  21. Teri Erdmann, Forest City School District
  22. Katelyn Phillips, Lakeland School District
  23. Larry Pegula, Valley View School District
  24. Lori Kelley, Valley View School District
  25. Christina Burak, Valley View School District
  26. Mary Swift, Scranton School District

About Skills in Scranton

Skills in Scranton, an affiliate organization of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, integrate workforce and economic development through collaborative partnerships, connecting industry and education to drive local economic prosperity.

About The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the area’s economic environment and quality of life by offering programs and services which stimulate economic growth, promote business prosperity and nurture educational opportunities. For more information about the Chamber, visit www.scrantonchamber.com.

The Chamber Launches 2023 Educator in the Workplace Program

Scranton, PA—Skills in Scranton, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s workforce development affiliate organization, welcomed 26 participants to the 2023 Educator in the Workplace Program.

Educator in the Workplace seeks to enhance classroom instruction, student learning, and career readiness for the workplace of today and tomorrow by connecting educators and school board directors with local business and industry leaders.

The 26 educators will participate in at least five one-day virtual and in-person learning sessions.

What are program participants doing?

  • Participating in and exploring career pathways in local businesses and industries
  • Interacting directly with business community leaders, gaining insight into the skills students need to succeed in their future careers
  • Establishing connections to business and industry leaders in Lackawanna County’s leading and emerging industry sectors
  • Learning about local businesses and employment opportunities

“Educator in the Workplace seeks to align and connect business and industry leaders with local school districts, the career and technical center, and the local intermediate unit,” said Amy Luyster, Vice President. “Program participants are provided experiences interacting directly with industry and business leaders to learn about industry trends, needs, and opportunities to enhance their classroom instruction, student learning, and career readiness.

This program is partly funded by the City of Scranton American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Non-Profit Covid Relief Grant and sponsored by Pennsylvania American Water and the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

Skills in Scranton Act 158 Presentation

Skills in Scranton, the Chamber’s workforce development affiliate, will host Act 158: Pathways to Graduation, a virtual presentation on Wednesday, April 27 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. All school administrators, guidance counselors, educators, school board directors, higher education staff, and community members in Lackawanna County are invited to attend.  

Guest speaker, Sue Kuhl – Pennsylvania career readiness liaison – will discuss the Career Ready PA Coalition, updates impacting Act 158, and provide information to school districts on preparing students in college, career, and community readiness here in Lackawanna County.

For more than 25 years, Skills in Scranton – through its Educator in the Workplace program – has worked with local employers, school districts, higher education partners and Pennsylvania data experts to develop strategies that help ensure the regional workforce is aligned with high-priority jobs of the future.

Those interested in attending can RSVP to Karen Durkin at kdurkin@scrantonchamber.com. Media are also invited to attend.

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Chamber Hires Workforce Development Specialist

The Chamber is proud to announce the addition of Emily Pettinato as the workforce development specialist for Skills in Scranton, the Chamber’s workforce development affiliate.

In this role, Pettinato supports workforce development and talent recruitment initiatives for Skills in Scranton, including managing programs like Workforce Wednesday, Educator in the Workplace, Industry Career Camp, and more. Pettinato’s responsibilities include coordination and implementation of programs with educational institutions and businesses, securing grant and funding opportunities, managing analytics, developing relationships with key workforce segments, and more.

Pettinato has worked in education as a teacher assistant for multiple organizations, as well as having varied experience in communications and business development. Pettinato earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Moravian College and is currently earning her MBA in business administration.

CANPACK Group Hosts Ceremonial Event

The CANPACK Group held a ceremonial event on Friday March 19 with state and local officials along with community leaders. A short program was presented marking the 908,000-square-foot aluminum can manufacturing plant being completely under roof with final construction expected to be in May.

In July of 2020, The CANPACK Group – a subsidiary of Blandon, PA-based GIORGI GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC. (GGHI) – announced the construction a state of the art aluminum beverage can body and ends manufacturing plant. President and CEO of GGHI Peter Giorgi remarked that “this is CANPACK’s first plant in the United States and will feature a North American Center of Excellence which will demonstrate our R&D and lithographic capabilities. In anticipation of this ceremonial event, Mr. Giorgi added: “We are extremely excited to be bringing CANPACK to the United States and to my home state of Pennsylvania, and we are very pleased that Roberto Villaquiran, CEO of the CANPACK Group, will be joining us in person for this event as well as our leadership team for CANPACK US.”

The new $366 million facility in Olyphant will create more than 400 skilled and semi-skilled jobs. CANPACK will open the first of its assembly lines in September with further lines to follow.
Roberto Villaquiran, CANPACK’s CEO, notes that “providing life sustaining jobs while creating essential packaging products which can be recycled again and again is foundational with respect to CANPACK’s focus on sustainability, being a responsible corporate citizen, and passionately serving the needs of our customers.” Brooke Lipperini, HR Manager o f CANPACK US, added, “We are hiring passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. This is an exciting time for CANPACK and we welcome those who want to be a part of the creation of a major manufacturing facility that brings great sustainable product to our great country.”

Learn more at Canpack.com.

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