Wissmach Glass Job Fair Booth

A job fair was held in the multi-purpose room of the United Methodist Church on Howard Jeffers Drive in New Martinsville on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The event was co-sponsored by West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNNC) and the American Job Center (AJC). The AJC, with offices in Weirton, Wheeling, and New Martinsville, operates under the auspices of the Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board and is funded by the US Department of Labor.

The AJC administers the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a piece of federal legislation passed by Congress and signed into law in 2014. Among other things, the legislation provides funding for job training, including apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, up to $4,750 per year and $9,500 for a two year period for eligible adults, dislocated workers, and youth. Other training funding opportunities are available as well as an on-the-job training process that allows employers to hire and train new workers and receive a wage reimbursement of up to sixty percent for six months for eligible new hires. Program Coordinator Christine Smith may be reached at 304-231-1170.

The following entities were represented at the job fair:

Two schools offering Commercial Drivers (CDL) training: All State Career School of Wheeling and Billy Big Rig (BBR) CDL Institute with locations in Smithfield, Ohio and Weirton, West Virginia. Both schools have a website.

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Division is looking for those interested in a career as a correctional officer as well as administrative personnel.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a nonprofit service and advocacy organization for citizens over the age of fifty-five who wish to rejoin the workforce; the mission of the NCOA is to link up those seniors with employers. Older employees can bring maturity, a strong work ethic, reliability, and good communication skills to the workplace and benefit from interaction with the energy and passion of younger employees. Employers can benefit from the programás option of a trial period for senior employees in which the senior employeeás wages are paid by NCOA for an agreed upon trial period. At the end of the trial, the senior employee may be hired if the employer finds them a good fit. Whether or not the candidate is hired, the employer pays nothing for the trial period.

Litman Enterprises LLC, a local provider of Porta-John and septic services based in Sardis, Ohio; the company is seeking workers to service its growing business. It has extensive operations in the oil and gas fields. At the time of the job fair, the company was looking for a Class “B” CDL driver with tanker endorsement.

Cassidy Talamonti of Youth Services System, Inc., located at 87 Fifteenth Streetin Wheeling; Cassidyás organization, funded by the US Department of Labor, services eligible youth ages fourteen through twenty-four in Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler Counties with skills training and employment. Cassidy may be reached at 304-218-2816. Email is Ctalamonti@ysswv.com.

Original PJ’s Pizza is seeking workers for their longtime location in New Martinsville and their new dine-in location in Moundsville, which operates as Original PJ’s Varsity Pizza. Prospective employees may contact Joni Morgan at 304-455-4655.

GMS, a mining repair and maintenance company with a national presence, was represented by Makenzie Dawson, Human Resource Specialist, and Larry Pratt, the company’s Mine Coordinator at Consol Energy’s Bailey Mine in Southeastern Pennsylvania. GMS provides training and employment for entry level mining jobs, starting with a forty hour underground mining course.

The Paul Wissmach Glass Company of Paden City, West Virginia, was represented by Plant Manager G. Daniel Lynch and Executive Assistant Paul Fox Creech. Wissmach Glass offers unique and specialized career opportunities in stained glass manufacturing, and provides a substantial benefits package. Wissmach enjoys a global market for its products.

The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, the state’s primary vocational rehabilitation resource, was represented by Tammy Cross. The Division’s mission is to provide assistance such as training and skill enhancement to those with disabilities who want to work and connect those individuals with employers. Ms. Cross may be reached at 304-455-4688.

The Wheeling Vet Center was represented by Michael Novotney, an infantry veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Vet Centers, although funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, maintain an independence from the Veterans Administration. Vet Centers provide counseling, referrals regarding medical issues, benefits, and employment, and support systems for veterans and their families. The Wheeling Vet Center is located at 1058 East Bethlehem Boulevard in Wheeling. The phone number is 304-232-0587.

West Virginia’s Choice, with local offices in Washington Lands just south of Moundsville, is an employee owned company providing homemaking and personal care services to enable people to remain in their homes rather than entering a nursing home. Care may also be provided for friends and family members and those with disabilities. The services may be reimbursed by Medicaid depending on eligibility requirements. Employees will receive appropriate training, including CPR. Fingerprinting and background checks are required. Employees must be eighteen or older. The Washington Lands office serves Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler Counties, and may be reached at 304-843-0910. West Virginia’s Choice has a total of eight offices in the state serving all fifty-five counties.

The Goodwill Thrift Store in the New Martinsville Plaza in Steelton was represented by Store Leads Margie Davis and Rachel Rose. Their retail operation needs cashiers and stock people to receive, sort, and display donated articles of clothing, housewares, and other items. Margie and Rachel may be contacted at the store. Goodwill’s phone number is 304-455-2878.

Genesis Health Care at 225 Russell Avenue in New Martinsville was represented by Amy Bennett and Jasmine Howell. The Genesis facility is a one-hundred bed facility providing physical, occupational, and speech therapy, short-term rehabilitation and long term and respite care. They employ health care workers of many disciplines and skill levels, including Nurse’s Aides, Dietary Aides, CNA’s, LPN’s, RN’s, as well as administrative personnel and drivers. Their employment opportunities are listed on the Indeed website.

The US Army was represented by S/Sgt. John Ferns from the US Army Recruiting Station located at 53 Fourteenth Street in Wheeling. The Army offers over 150 career choices, with about ten being in the warrior and combat arms field. The balance are in law, medicine, dentistry, optometry, transportation and logistics, maintenance of land vehicles, aircraft, and ordnance, electronics and cyber technologies and all the other services and skills necessary to support the US Army and its mission. The recruiting station is open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturdays by appointment. S/Sgt. Ferns and his teams can be reached at 304-233-4841.

The Wetzel County Chamber of Commerce was represented by Brian Rogers, Marketing and Administrative Assistant. In addition to promoting existing business, the Chamber is currently providing assistance and guidance to home-based business that utilize primarily the Internet for their marketing activities. With the help of a grant from EQT, the Chamber is fostering entrepreneurship by providing capital and management expertise for fledgling start-up businesses. Applications are being accepted for the Chamber’s annual Entrepreneurial Pitch which will take place this coming October. Three grants totaling six-thousand dollars will be awarded. Applications are available at the Chamber’s office at 132 North Street in New Martinsville. Phone number is 304-455-3825.