Lancaster: On Friday, April 24, fifteen Lancaster residents graduated from Construction 101, a pre-apprenticeship program for careers in the construction industry that is co-sponsored by the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in partnership with Lancaster County Adult Probation and Parole Services, Neighborhood Services, the PA CareerLink of Lancaster County, SACA, and the Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, at a ceremony held at Stevens College.

Those graduating included John Beatty, Mickell Bynum, John Calixto, Ricky Feliciano, Misael Figueroa, Vashon Flood-Ray, Scotty Gebhard, Jr., Omar Henriquez, Courtney Miles, Courvon Miles, Emilio Morales, Patricia Myers, Anthony Smith, Fernando Barea Torres, and Alan Williams. In this class, Patricia Myers received honors for having the Highest Grade Point Average while Ricky Feliciano was honored as Most Improved Student and Anthony Smith was selected at Most Outstanding. Vashon Flood-Ray, Patricia Myers, Anthony Smith, Fernando Barea Torres, and Alan Williams were recognized for their Perfect Attendance.

Participants completed a six-week, 240 hour program of classroom instruction and on-the-job training that qualifies them to work in the construction industry and that provides a curriculum which is at the introductory core of the apprenticeship programs for carpenters, electricians, masons, plumbers, HVAC, and other construction careers. Coursework includes safety, hand and power tools, construction math, and other topics.

Charles Byers and Dan Noel, carpentry instructors at Stevens, are the instructors for this course and provide the on-site supervision. "This program provides non-traditional students with a great opportunity to develop a base of knowledge and experience that helps them be more successful as they enter into employment in the construction industry," said Byers recently.

Over 200 students have graduated from the program this year with some dramatic success stories that include students who are now working in the industry and enrolled in apprenticeship training with Associated Builders and Contractors as well as graduates who are continuing their education at the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, Thaddeus Stevens College, and Penn State University. Scott Sheely, Executive Director of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board, commented that "these well-prepared young people are beginning their training at an important time for the construction industry as it faces an aging population of skilled tradespersons that it will need to replace in the next ten years. There are tremendous opportunities in this industry in the near future for persons of color and women."

Lancaster: On Thursday, April 16, one hundred fifty-nine Lancaster County residents graduated from Ready2Work, a workforce readiness program that is sponsored by the PA CareerLink of Lancaster County at a ceremony held at Liberty Place. Community partners include the Spanish-American Civic Association, Brightside Baptist Church, the Urban League, and Neighborhood Services.

Those graduating included Scott Albright, Tania Alequine, Jasmine Alvarado, Milton Anderson, Maicka Aquino-Kusecki, Jose Ascencio, Norma Basora, Scott Beinlich, Jasen Berger, Keith Bletz, Rodger Bohanan, Kathleen Booth, Stacy Boyer, Robert Boynes, Otis Brown, Tyrone Brown, Zack Burke, Jorge Cajas, Stan Caterbone, Mary Chapman, Tabetha Chester, Ahmeen Clanton, Katrina Collins, Frank Colon, Rousana Colon, Vicki Cozzone, Jeff Craig, Jr., Christina Creek, Roxanne Day, Raymond Deibler, Yanelys Denis, Randy Derr, Hosea Deshields, Chanel Dickerson, Kevin Ebersole, Joshua Edwards, Shawana Edwards, Clare Evans, Gabriella Felpel, Anthony Fiorentino, Nicole Fritchlee, Daniel Fultz, James Funk, Edward Garcia, Ashley Garner, Rebecca Gatchell, Amanda Gibbs, Stephanie Giberson, Max Gilbert, Johanna Gonzalez, Donna Good, Joseph Goodhart, Jr., Harold Gregory, Marlon Grooms, Ganja Gurung, Pabsy Hake, and Christine Hall. Scott Hall, Shenitta Harris, Wanda Hart, Andy Hartley, Grace Henderson, David Herber, Eric Hill, Sharon Hoffmeier, Michael Horein, Sandra Horst, Donald Hostetter, Thomas Huller, Mike Ice, Robert Jackson, Richard Jenner, Juan Jimenez-Mejia, Danny Jones, Natalie Jones, Steven Kadsand, Mrika Kallaba, Barry Keiser, John Klevis, James Koski, Lori Krchnar, Stephen Kruzik, Erika Lavender, Michele Leaman, Wilson Leon-Bohorquez, Michelle Lewis, Joseph Lockett, Joseph Long, Kyle Luttrell, Hector Maldonado, Lisa Manuel, Luis Matias, Albert McCain, Al-Tereke McClain, Amanda McKee, Felipe Mercado, Lewis Meyer, Yvonne Meyer, Heath Miller, William Miller, Kevin Mullen, Alfred Myers, Wayne Myers, Michelle Nauman, Hector Negron, Greg Newcomer, Cody Nickel, Katherine Ober, Patrick O'Donnell, Nilsa Ortiz, William Overly, Anthony Paparo, Julia Pereira-Martins, Edwin Perez, Kristina Perez, and Tony Peters. Angela Powell, Ruben Ramirez, John Redd, David Reese, Eileen Reyes, Sally Rhoads-Adams, Douglas Rice, Carolyn Risko, Tina Risser, Austin Ritz, Anna Rodriguez, Edwin Rodriguez, Tamisha Rodriguez, Dane Saenen, Angel Sample, Tannia Sams, Edna Santiago, Christopher Schretzenmaier, Mekeena Segro, Nicole Shivers, David Shudy, Yshuanett Soto, Robert Stauffer, Brad Stauffer, Michael Steckler, Jeffrey Stoltzfus, Damien Summers, Lisa Sweigart, Ivy Tenorio, Libby Thode, Jonathan Thomas, Henry Thompson, Analiz Torres, Betty Tribble, Gary Trostle, Sonya Varga, Olga Velazquez, Adrienne Waters, Harold Weaver, Amanda Welker, Mahogany Wheeler, Mike Wiley, and Crist Wolf.

Participants completed a program that usually takes from one-six weeks which includes career counseling; assessement foundational skills; remediation in reading, mathematics, and using charts and graphs; and a review of work skills around attendance, managing conflict, working with others, being prepared for transportation and child care emergencies, managing time and money, and other important issues. Participants receive a Career Readiness Credential from the Workforce Investment Board and the Lancaster Chamber upon completion of the WorkKeys standardized test of workforce skills.

Some of the graduates have gone on to other skill training programs in construction, welding, machine operation, printing, and food safety.

Counselors with the PA CareerLink help graduates make connections with Ready2Work employers who guarantee people with the Career Readiness Certificate a job interview if their skills match jobs that might be available. The list of 35+ employers which includes manufacturers, insurance agencies, long-term care facilities, and others is diverse and grows by dozens each month.

Future classes run continuously. Contact Martin Wubbolt or Brenda Chavez at the PA CareerLink at 717-509-5613 ext. 385 or 717-391-3570 (TTY) for enrollment information.

Lancaster: Jane Lundsten, Coordinator of the Business Services Team of the PA CareerLink of Lancaster County, and her employer, the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, were recognized at a brief ceremony on March 27, 2009 as a Patriotic Employer by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Lundsten was nominated by Michael Boring, a Business Service Team member, who has been serving in Iraq since January 2009. Sgt. Boring is scheduled to return to his duties later this spring. Congratulations to Jane!