Working in the
Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board, Inc.
Bi-Annual Newsletter December 2016
Third Annual Veteran
“Stand Down” Event
On Wednesday, October 26, 2016, the Third
Annual WorkForce West Virginia Veteran
“Stand Down” was held at the West Virginia
Northern Community College (WVNCC)
Education Center from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
This Event was FREE for all Veterans and
their family members to attend.
counseling, supplies and a lifeline to
Veterans living without.
Veterans were greeted with juice and a hot
breakfast sandwich, which were donated by
Bob Evans restaurant. Honor Guards from
the American Legion Post #1 in Wheeling,
WV did the presentation of colors for the
Opening Ceremony. Lunch was prepared by
the WVNCC Culinary Arts Students and FREE
to all Veterans and their +1 thanks to the
$100 donation from American Legion Post 1,
$100 donation from AMVETS Post 275 and
$100 donation from Vets-for Vets. Lunch was
served from Noon to 1:30 PM in the Culinary
Arts Dining Room, located on the 2nd floor of
the Education Center. The cost of lunch to
the vendors attending/participating was $7
and was a Tex-Mex themed buffet.
Joe Douglass, Sr., WorkForce West Virginia
Veteran Representative and Gulf War
Veteran, coordinated and scheduled
meetings throughout the year at the
Wheeling Vet Center in preparation for this
Event.
This annual Event plays a critical role in
helping our local Veterans, Active Duty
personnel and their families to obtain
necessary goods and services. Stand Down
is a day when the community comes
together to serve, offer hope, services, food,
Pictured left to right: Michael Novotney – Wheeling Vet
Center, Natalie McFeley – WVNCC, Matz Malone –
AMVETS Post 275, Chef Marian Gruber – WVNCC
Culinary Arts Department, Mick Mullen – Vets-for-Vets,
Chef Chris Kefauver- WVNCC Culinary Arts Department,
Mike Highfield – Vets-for-Vets, Theresa Kurts – Seeing
Hands Association, Joe Douglas, Sr. – WorkForce WV.
During the Event, Veterans received
information on VA Benefits, VA Enrollment,
VA Medical and Mental Help, Housing
Assistance, Living Will, Job Training, Surplus
Items, etc. No Veteran walked out empty
handed or hungry. Almost every single
Veteran attending took advantage of the
FREE haircuts that were being given by
Great Clips.
resources needed to regain their highest
level of independence, its secondary goal is
to bring our community and service
providers together in a collaborative format
that can build relationships throughout the
year that positively benefits homeless and
at-risk Veterans.
A special Thank You to all of the following
organizations who participated in this Event:
Woodforest National Bank; Jefferson County
Veterans Services; Great Clips; Wheeling Vet
Center; Amedisys Hospice; Greater Wheeling
Coalition for the Homeless; Belmont County
Community Based Outpatient Clinic;
Wheeling Human Rights Commission;
Pittsburgh Veteran Health Administration;
Pittsburgh Veterans Affair – Women’s
Health; West Virginia Division of
Rehabilitation Services; WorkForce West
Virginia; West Virginia Department of
Veterans Assistance; American Legion Post
#1; Vets for Vets; IC Care; Information
Helpline; Change, Inc.; Million Veteran
Program; West Virginia Advocates; Helping
Heroes, Inc.; West Virginia Northern
Community College; Northern Panhandle
Workforce Development Board, Inc.;
WorkForce West Virginia American Job
Center; Seeing Hand Association; Bob
Evans; Drivers Connections; Veteran
Transitional Housing; Valley Hospice;
Veteran Upward Bound; Sanctuary Home
Health; and, Northern West Virginia Center
for Independent Living.
Please make sure to check out the Facebook
page for the “Veterans Stand DownWheeling, WV Association” to see more
pictures and to find out when the next Event
will be scheduled for 2017.
“Honor to the soldier and sailor
everywhere, who bravely bears his
country's cause. Honor, also, to the
citizen who cares for his brother in the
field and serves, as he best can, the
same cause.”
Abraham Lincoln
While the primary goal of this Event is
helping homeless Veterans access the
YOUTH SERVICES
SYSTEM, INC. QUARTERLY
YOUTH WORKSHOPS
Youth Services System, Inc. (YSS, Inc.) has
been contracted by the Northern Panhandle
Workforce Development Board, Inc.
(NPWDB, Inc.) for the past 9 years to
provide services to at-risk Youth in the
following counties: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio,
Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler, and the cities of
Weirton and Wheeling.
The Youth Opportunities Unlimited
(YOU!) Program is funded by the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of
2014 and serves economically disadvantaged
youth ages 14-24. In general, the Youth
Opportunities Unlimited! Program is a 12
month program which begins on July 1st and
runs through June 30th of the following year.
It is designed to offer the neediest youth
with opportunities to successfully transition
to adult roles and responsibilities. An
emphasis has been on teaching academic,
life skills and employability skills to youth
who might not otherwise have an
opportunity to succeed academically or
vocationally. One of the ways YSS, Inc. does
this is by offering Quarterly Youth
Workshops throughout the program year.
On Thursday, September 22, 2016, at the
Wheeling American Job Center/WorkForce
West Virginia Youth Resource Room, YSS,
Inc. offered a Youth Quarterly Workshop
titled “Back to School”. Presenters included:
Karrie Mulhern and Dawn Barcus from West
Virginia Northern Community College
(WVNCC); Brady Woodland from All-State
Career Center; Anthony Sharro from
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA);
and, Jason Rine from West Virginia
University (WVU) Extension Service. All
presenters spoke about the advantages of
enrolling in an Older Youth Individual
Training Account (ITA) Program and going
into one of the in-demand occupations, such
as Applied Technology, Truck Driving (CDL),
Cyber Security, Heavy Equipment Operator,
Chemical Operator, Instrumentation, etc.
Jason Rine went a step further and discussed
the many opportunities in STEM (Science
Technology Engineering and Mathematics)
programs for today’s youth. Jason explained
that STEM workshops help communities build
on local programs to better align youth to
STEM education with “high demand”
occupations. Jason brought in a drone and
discussed the flight dynamics, remote
sensing, flight control, and of course safety
and other flight regulations. He was able to
get the youth engaged and dive deep into
the world of coding and learn about how
drones are programmed.
In the Youth Resource Room at the Wheeling
American Job Center/Workforce West
Virginia Career Center, youth have the
opportunity to work with the following: a
XYZ Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer; a Lego
Mindstorms Robotics Kit, as well as STEM
curriculum that operates through the laptop
attached to the 3D printer; Five (5) VEX
Robotics STEM Kits for various building
projects tied to engineering and technology;
NASCAR STEM Program that is set up
through the laptop; a Weighted Math
Building Kit; and, a growing Library of books
based on STEM Curriculum.
To find out more about the YSS, Inc. Youth
Opportunities Unlimited! Year Round
Youth Program, Older Youth ITA Program, or
the Youth Resource Room, please contact
Donnie Yeager, Jr. at 304-639-4453 or
[email protected].
Desirae Parker enrolled into the NPWDB,
Inc.’s Year Round Youth Program in 2012
while she was in the American Job
Center/WorkForce West Virginia Career
Center signing up for the Individual Training
Account (ITA) Program. Desirae was
approved for the ITA Program, and through
her hard work and dedication, she graduated
from the B.M. Spurr of Practical Nursing
located in Glen Dale, WV in August of 2013.
She passed her boards in October 2013 and
immediately began her search for
employment. November 2013, Desirae was
offered full time employment, and accepted,
at the Northern Regional Jail and Correction
Facility in Moundsville, WV. She is still
currently employed here as a staff nurse,
where she willingly works the nightshift in
order to allow her to attend Belmont College
during the day. Desirae is working on her
Associate’s Degree in order to become a
Registered Nurse (RN).
Pictured: Desirae Parker along with her husband, Mark,
and two (2) daughters Markia and Marley.
ITA training in late March 2016. In April
2016, he started his CDL training at All
State Career School, in Wheeling, WV. It
was during this training that he heard from
several recruiters explaining the benefits of
working for their company. Logan
ultimately decided to apply for a job with
TMC Transportation and was able to get a
pre-hire while he was still enrolled in
training.
Pictured: Logan Wolfe
Upon graduation, he left for Des Moines,
In December 2015, Logan Wolfe was laid
Iowa for his orientation with TMC
off from a local Coal Mine. Logan knew
Transportation. While in orientation, Logan
there was special funding available for Coal
excelled and graduated at the top of his
Miner retraining, but since he was laid off
class.
from an Ohio Coal Mine, he was not eligible
to receive the training benefits from the
The opportunities afforded under the WIOA
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) in
helped Logan to get back to work and
West Virginia. Staff at the Wheeling
provide for his family. He enjoys being a
American Job Center/WorkForce West
professional truck driver and is grateful for
Virginia Career Center explained to Logan
this opportunity.
that since he was a dislocated worker and a
West Virginia resident, they could still assist
him with retraining funded through the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA) to get him back on his feet.
"Take up one idea. Make that one idea
your life-think of it, dream of it, live on
With a young family to support, Logan knew
that idea. Let the brain, muscles,
he wanted to get into a training that would
nerves, every part of your body, be full
allow him to re-enter the workforce as soon
of that idea, and just leave every other
as possible. Many of his friends and even
idea alone. This is the way to success."
his dad had their CDL license and was able
Swami Vivekananda
to earn a good wage. This helped him to
make his decision to go into the Individual
Training Account (ITA) Program for CDL
training. Logan received his approval for
WEIRTON WORKFORCE
WEST VIRGINIA
CAREER FAIR
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics; and,
Right at Home.
On Thursday, October 27, 2016, the Weirton
WorkForce West Virginia American Job
Center/Career Center collaborated with West
Virginia Northern Community College
(WVNCC), to hold a Career Fair at the
WVNCC Weirton Campus from 10:00 AM to
2:00 PM.
It is a priority to connect employers and job
seekers in the Northern Panhandle of West
Virginia in order to create more opportunities
for the residents and businesses to thrive.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make
this Career Fair successful!
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE
JOBSEEKER
This event was FREE to the public and
students of WVNCC. Those attending had an
opportunity to speak with area business
representatives about their current job
openings. Job seekers were encouraged to
attend with prepared resumes and ready to
meet with prospective employers.
The following is a list of employers who
attended/participated in the Career Fair:
Bulldog Rack; Rue 21Distribution Center;
Northwood Health System; Weirton Medical
Center; Home Is Where the Heart Is;
Change, Inc.; IC Care Staffing; Helping
Heroes; Stillwaggon & McGill;
Reimbursement Concepts; William Lea;
Adecco; Fox Run; WorkForce West Virginia
Unemployment/Job Service; National Council
on Aging; COTRIAC; Youth Services System,
Inc.; West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation
Services; West Virginia Business College;
Ten years ago, less than 10% of adult
internet users utilized Social Media. Today, it
is well over 74%. Sites like Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google, etc.
allow employers to get a glimpse of who
their potential employees are outside the
confines of a resume, cover letter and
interview. These same Social Media sites
also offer job seekers the opportunity to
learn about job openings. This is probably
the biggest reason why half of all job seekers
are actively on social networking sites on a
daily basis. This isn’t the only strategy for
finding a job, but it is becoming increasingly
more popular. However, job seekers need to
realize that their prospective employers are
also utilizing the same social networking
sites in their hiring process by screening
potential employees.
CAREER CENTER TRAFFIC
REPORT PROGRAM YTD
Job seekers need to think about what
message are they sending with your Social
Media presence. If a prospective employer
were to look at your Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, etc. page, what would they find?
WHEELING
New Customers:
Repeat Customers:
Total:
83
3,304
3,387
WEIRTON
New Customers:
Repeat Customers:
Total:
100
886
986
The following are some tips for keeping your
social networking free from potential
employer scrutiny: 1) Watch the content of
what you are posting. Employers may decide
to hire someone else if you have
inappropriate photographs or use of
profanity; 2) Maintain professionalism; 3)
Avoid posting information pertaining to drug
and alcohol use/abuse; 4) Don’t bash your
current or past employer(s); and, 5) Flaunt
your talents and good deeds. An employer
may choose you over another candidate
because your posts make you look creative
or because of the volunteer work you have
done.
The answer isn’t to not be active on Social
Media, because that could also potentially
hurt your chances of being recognized and
hired. The bottom line is to remember to
keep your profile and posts professional and
personable. Remember, what you post on
Social Media NEVER goes away! It’s all about
finding that balance.
“Excellence is an art won by training
and habituation. We do not act rightly
because we have virtue or excellence,
but we rather have those because we
have acted rightly. We are what we
repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not
an act but a habit.”
Aristotle
(WIOA Program Year 7/01/2016 through
12/30/2016)
NEW MARTINSVILLE
New Customers:
51
Repeat Customers:
2,535
Total:
2,586
GRAND TOTALS
New Customers:
Repeat Customers:
234
6,725
NPWDB, INC. STAFF AND
PARTNER TRAINING
On Tuesday, October 25, 2016 the Northern
Panhandle Workforce Development Board,
Inc. (NPWDB, Inc.) Staff and Youth Services
System, Inc. (YSS, Inc.) Youth
Opportunities Unlimited! Program Staff
members attended a WIOA and Safety
Training.
Staff is required to receive at least two (2)
Safety Trainings per year, according to the
NPWDB, Inc. Safety and Loss Control Policy.
Because motor vehicle incidents are the
leading cause of work related fatalities,
Christine Smith, NPWDB, Inc. staff member,
presented those in attendance with a Safe
Driving Video titled: “Six Conditions of
Driving”: 1) Driver; 2) Light; 3) Road;
4) Weather; 5) Vehicle; and, 6) Traffic.
Being a good driver means being aware of
your surroundings at all times, and this
includes anticipating the possible intentions
of other drivers. Being mindful of the
vehicles around you is basic to preventing
accidents from happening. We all drive to
work and we all want to arrive safely. The
primary goal of this Safety Training was to
educate the Staff that sometimes vehicle
accidents are not unavoidable, but with
training like this, we can help to reduce their
likelihood.
Executive Director, Rosemary Guida;
Assistant Director, Erinn Kittle; and, MACC
Coordinator, Gena Saffell also provided staff
members an update on WIOA Programs and
Services such as Performance Measures,
Program Year 2016-2017 Budgets, etc.
Since this Training was scheduled so close to
Halloween, the NPWDB, Inc. Administrative
Staff, One Stop and Assessment/Case
Management American Job Center Staff, and
YSS, Inc. Staff decided it would be fun to
dress up in costumes.
NEWSLETTER
SUBMISSIONS
All Partners, approved Training Providers,
Staff and clients of the Northern Panhandle
American Job Centers/WorkForce West
Virginia Career Centers are encouraged to
submit ideas, including success stories, for
this Newsletter. If you would like to submit
an idea, please contact Christine Smith at
the NPWDB, Inc. by email at
[email protected] or phone at 304-2311170.
“Nothing in the world can take the place
of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing
is more common than unsuccessful men
with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded
genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated
derelicts. Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press
On’ has solved and always will solve the
problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge
RAPID RESPONSE
A SPECIAL THANK YOU!
Pam Hedrick, Region Five’s Rapid
Response Coordinator, organizes Rapid
Response Meetings in our Region and
offers services on a smaller scale. Rapid
Response services that are offered in our
Region include the following: Career
Counseling and Job Search Assistance;
Explanation of Unemployment Insurance
Benefits; Resume Preparation;
Interviewing Skills Workshops; Local
Labor Market Facts and Figures;
Education and Training Opportunities;
and Financial Planning and Stress
Management Workshops.
The Rapid Response Program was
created to coordinate transition
assistance to impacted employees.
Company closings and layoffs pose great
hardships on employees and employers.
Relieving the effects of dislocation
through Rapid Response is a positive and
responsible way to help lighten the
hardships of those affected.
When a company allows Rapid Response
activities to take place on the company
site and on company time, services,
including eligibility for training/retraining, often can begin before the job
loss actually occurs.
Businesses who are planning to lay off
employees, close or reorganize should
contact Pam at the Wheeling American
Job Center/WorkForce West Virginia
Career Center by calling 304-280-6280
or email [email protected]. Rapid
Response services are provided at no
cost to the employer and/or the
employee.
At the November 16, 2016 Quarterly
NPWDB, Inc. Full Board Meeting,
Chairman, Eric Peters, along with Board
Members, Local Elected Officials and
Staff thanked Commissioner Don Mason
for his 18 years of service on the Board
as the Chief Local Elected Official. Mr.
Mason spent many years serving on
various committees and volunteering his
time to maintain and improve this
organization. Mr. Mason made the
decision to not run for re-election at the
Wetzel County Commission last year in
order to fully enjoy his retirement and to
spend time with his family.
“Successful and unsuccessful people do
not vary greatly in their abilities. They
vary in their desires to reach their
potential.”
John Maxwell
NPWDB, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS & LOCAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS FOR PY2016-17
LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
Joe Barnabei- Hancock County
Commissioner, Chief LEO
Harold Miller- Mayor of Weirton
James Andreozzi- Brooke County
Commissioner
Orphy Klempa- Ohio County
Commissioner
Glenn Elliott- Mayor of Wheeling
John Gruzinkas- Marshall County
Commissioner
Lisa Heasley- Wetzel County
Commissioner
Charles Smith- Tyler County
Commissioner
BOARD OFFICERS
Eric Peters - Chairman
John Sorrenti – Vice-Chairman
Rodd Haller – Treasurer
John Looney - Secretary
NPWDB, INC. BOARD MEMBERS
Ohio County
Michelle Olejasz
Darcy Clark
Matt McCardle
City of Wheeling
John Looney
Rodd Haller
John Tarr IV
Marshall County
Joe Donahue
Josh Jefferson
Robert Kinnick
Wetzel County
Sarah Boley
Larry Tackett
Matt Herrick
Tyler County
Eric Peters
Chad McKnight
Patrick Walsh
Hancock County
John Sorrenti
Bill Tice
Walter Ruszkowski
City of Weirton
Edmund Dibacco
Dave DeFelice
Jason Kazmirski
Brooke County
Jim Boniey
Mike Vitello
Alan McLaughlin
NPWDB, Inc. / WIOA funded programs are equal opportunity employer programs. Auxiliary
aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
TTY/TDD 304-233-8091