The Westmoreland/Fayette Workforce Investment Board, together with PA CareerLink Westmoreland County Operating Consortium (Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., Bureau of Workforce Development Partnership, and Westmoreland County Community College), announces the opening of the Sony Transition Center, located at the Westmoreland County Sony Technology Center in Mt. Pleasant, PA.

The Center will be open Monday through Thursday from 12:00 noon until 8:00 PM and Fridays from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The Center is staffed by PA CareerLink Westmoreland County employees Tony Gebicki, Site Administrator; and Tina Kemerer, Coordinator. Additional PA CareerLink Westmoreland County staff will be available to provide information on the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA); employment and training programs; upcoming job, career, and education fairs; career counseling; skills assessments; and job placement to recently-separated workers from Sony. PA CareerLink Westmoreland County staff who will be providing services at the Center are experts in TAA issues and have years of experience in TAA operations.

The Westmoreland/Fayette Workforce Investment Board has secured Rapid Response state dollars through the Bureau of Workforce Development Partnership to open this Center. The Center will be fully staffed and operational for as long as there is a need for services.

A Transition Team, slated to be made up of Sony workers, will also be identified. This Transition Team will meet monthly to develop and share information to other employees through newsletters and development of a phone tree.

The PA CareerLink Westmoreland County has been providing services to dislocated workers since the inception of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. From July 1, 2006 to April 16, 2007, the PA CareerLink Westmoreland County has provided intensive and/or education and training services to 536 dislocated workers. Of those 536 individuals, 347 were enrolled into programs through Trade Act and 189 were served through additional dislocated worker programs. The PA CareerLink Westmoreland County has been noted as a high performing CareerLink, particularly in its services to dislocated workers. It has also provided core services to all job seeker participants that entered the PA CareerLink Westmoreland County office for assistance. Since July 1, 2006, the daily tallies of participants have totaled 10,703 new and repeat participants.

For more information, please contact Bill Thompson, Westmoreland/Fayette Workforce Investment Board at (724-755-2145), or Tim Yurcisin, Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. at (724-836-2600).

Participating in the Sony Transition Center opening are (left to right) Bill Thompson, WIB Executive Director; Tim Yurcisin, PIC President; and Michael Koff, Sony Representative.

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