Community-Based Work Assessment

Through GICV’s Community-Based Work Assessment (CBWA) service, job seekers with documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, will work with GICV’s job coaches to learn whether they are suited for or prepared for particular jobs within the local community before applying for them.  During several structured four-hour assessments, the job seeker completes a variety of job tasks that will measure an individual job seeker’s strengths and abilities.  Examples of the strengths and abilities that will be assessed include: 

After a work assessment is completed, a GICV job coach provides a written report and meets with the job seeker and the referring agency to discuss the results and make recommendations for the next step in the job seeker’s employment plan.

For more information on GICV's CBWA, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is based on an individual with a documented disability who has the desire to obtain employment.

Applicants may be referred by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, County Mental Health/Mental Retardation offices, local school districts, and other agencies.

Funded by the referring organization.

Coverage area by counties:  Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset. 

 Community Employment Services

Helping individuals with documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, to find competitive employment is the goal of GICV’s Community Employment Services (CES).  Through CES, GICV assists individuals with disabilities in preparing for successful job placement and job retention by utilizing Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model.  This career model promotes full participation and choice by an individual in defining his or her wants, needs, and preferences in the achievement of employment and/or other desired outcomes.
 
CES follows the philosophy of  Supported Employment:

• Assists individuals with disabilities in finding and keeping competitive employment (work in the community that anyone can apply for and that pays at least minimum wage)
  
  

• Assists those individuals with disabilities who express the desire to work and does not excluded because of “lack of readiness” or because of prior work history, substance use, or symptoms
  .

• Provides support from employment counselors as long as program participants want the assistance
  
  

• Enables choices and decisions about work and support that are individualized, based on an individual's preferences, strengths, and experiences
  
  

Goodwill provides instruction and assistance with:

• Applications, résumés, and cover letters

• Interviewing techniques

• Basic, social and life skills

• Job shadowing, Community-Based Work Assessment, and on-the-job experience

• Job-development skills, job-seeking skills, and job-retention skills

• Placement services

• Job coaching (work-performance, accommodations, transportation training, long-term follow-up and support)

For more information on GICV's CES, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is based on an individual with a documented disability who has the desire to obtain employment.

Applicants require referrals from the County Mental Health/Mental Retardation offices, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or Unlimited Care Providers.

Funded by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and County Mental Health/Mental Retardation, Autism Waiver, and the Department of Public Welfare's Community Care Waiver.

Coverage area by county:  Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset.

 Learn to Work 1 and Learn to Work 2

Learn to Work 1
Youth ages 13–18 who are referred to GICV by the Juvenile Probation Office of Cambria County or Children & Youth Services are eligible to participate in GICV’s Learn to Work 1 (LtW1) Program.  GICV’s LtW1 Program is designed to enable delinquent youth to master the skills they need to improve their situations and become economically self-sufficient.  Following Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model, GICV delivers the following components:

GICV designed the Learn to Work 2 (LtW2) Program for students who are struggling academically or behaviorally and are not succeeding in the main school system as indicated by failing grades, truancy, disruptive behavior, suspension, or similar criteria associated with early withdrawal from school.  Through LtW2, students have an opportunity to explore career options, learn about the world of work, and attain work skills through Paid Work Experiences that complement classroom instruction.
 

GICV's qualified facilitators use evidenced-based practices as recognized by the National Youth Employment Coalition, which are comprised of the following areas: Instructional Approach Individual Planning and Guidance Employer Engagement Environment and Climate Target Youth Activities

Following Goodwill Industries International’s Career Development Model, GICV’s facilitators assist youth in gaining the skills they need to exert control over the identification, procurement, retention, and advancement of a career.  The service model is an ongoing process that allows the students to continually set and achieve new goals.  Components include:

• Self-Awareness Assessment

• Career and Personal Assessment

• Career Awareness and Career Exploration

• Decision-Making and Planning

• Career Preparation

• Social Life Skills

• Employment Skills

The natural progression for students in the LtW2 Program is their participation in Paid Work Experiences, earning $7.25 per hour, through one of GICV’s businesses including the retail stores, document imaging services, and www.shopgoodwill.com internet merchandising.
 
For more information on GICV's LtW2, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 536-3536, ext. 243 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is determined by the participating school districts and GICV.
Applicants are coordinated by the interested school districts and GICV.
Funded by Fee-for-Service to participating school districts.                  

Coverage area by county:  Cambria.
 

 PA CareerLink^®, Cambria County

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Inc. (GICV) holds the Title I contract for the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Services, made possible through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board.  GICV provides these services through the PA CareerLink, Cambria County to offer employment and training services that connect employers with job seekers.

Under the WIA, PA CareerLink, Cambria County focuses on meeting the training, education, and employment needs of youth, adults, and dislocated workers through the One-Stop Approach.  This approach provides job seekers with information about employment and training services at a single neighborhood location.  The new location for PA CareerLink, Cambria County is:

New Location

PA CareerLink, Cambria County

Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center (former Vo-Tech)

445 Schoolhouse Road (Richland Township)

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

(814) 533-2493

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Services   Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), GICV through the PA CareerLink provides Cambria County youth with an opportunity that for some provides them with the first paychecks that they’ve ever earned.       WIA services are available for in-school youth ages 16–21 who are enrolled in secondary education in Cambria County school districts, and out-of-school youth ages 16–21 who have either earned a high school diploma, earned a GED, or dropped out of high school.

Career planners meet with the youth to determine their eligibility. If eligible and suitable, the youth will become enrolled in the services and will:

• Attend weekly workshops that consist of the Youth Service Elements of the WIA, which include:
  – Career exploration
  – Job search
  – Job retention
  – Leadership development.

• Participate in a Paid Work Experience for 8–10 weeks

• Participate in intense assessment and testing for Post-Secondary Education or Career Planning, which include:
  – Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
  – Career Scope
  – Barriers to Employment Success Inventory (BESI)
  – Transition to Work Inventory

• Complete GED/Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes

• Receive referral to local agencies and services

For more information on WIA Services, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is determined by the Workforce Investment Act guidelines.
Applicants can self-refer themselves by visiting the PA CareerLink, Cambria County at 445 Schoolhouse Road (former Vo-Tech), Richland.
Funded by the Workforce Investment Act, through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board.
Coverage area by counties: Cambria.

Job-Readiness Program:  Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, GICV through the PA CareerLink operates a 16-week Job-Readiness Program for in-school youth ages 16–18, with a Paid Work Experience as its main component, to encourage youth to stay in school, increase job opportunities, prepare youth for the real world of work, and stave off future welfare dependency.
 
The Job-Readiness Program follows curriculum that’s based on the school-mandated Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.  Youth actively participate in workshops on Career Awareness and Preparation, Career Acquisition, and Career Retention and Advancement.  The final Employments Skills Workshop assists the youth in identifying good work ethics and social skills.  Career planners connect youth with Paid Work Experiences with local businesses in which they earn $7.25 per hour and receive on-the-job training, learn new job skills, and develop strong work ethics that they will carry with them into the future.
 
Dropout-Prevention Program:  Another component of the TANF Program is the Dropout-Prevention Program in which PA CareerLink subcontracts to a local school district to help to keep youth ages 14–18 in school so that they earn their high school diplomas.  The eligibility and compliance of the programs are determined by PA CareerLink using the “235% Poverty Level Income” guide or Pennsylvania’s Free/Reduced Lunch Program parameters, among other criteria.
 
For more information on the TANF Program, contact Nancy Peck at (814) 533-2493, ext. 264 or npeck@goodwilljohnstown.org.

Eligibility is determined by PA CareerLink through school district guidance counselors and the Cambria County Welfare Office.

Applicants must be referred by school districts or the Cambria County Welfare Office.
Funded by TANF through the state Department of Welfare, made possible through Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board. Coverage area by county: Cambria.

  Adult Employment and Training Services

Through the WIA’s One-Stop Approach, PA CareerLink provides the following services to job seekers:

• Conducts a preliminary assessment of their skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and support service needs
  
  

• Provides information on a full array of employment-related services including information about local education
  and training service providers
  
  

• Verifies eligibility for on-the-job training and other training programs
   
  

• Provides job search and placement assistance and career counseling
  
  

• Enables access to up-to-date labor market information that identifies job vacancies and skills
  necessary for in-demand jobs
  
  

• Offers information about local, regional, and national employment trends

PA CareerLink services fall under the WIA’s three incremental levels of services:  Core Services, Intensive Services,
and Training Services as follows:
 
Under Core Services, the PA CareerLink provides:

• Self-directed job searches
   

• Enrollment onto the PA CareerLink website
  
  

• Labor market information, which identifies job vacancies, skills needed for in-demand jobs, and local, regional,
  and national employment trends
  
  

• Initial assessment of skills and needs
  
  

• Information about available services
  
  

• Eligibility and suitability determination for Intensive Services and Training Services

Under Intensive Services, the PA CareerLink provides:

• Informal Assessments

• WorkKeys^® Job Skills Assessment (working toward a National Career Readiness Certificate^TM)

• Development of individual employment plans and vocational goals

• Group and individual counseling

• Case management

• Short-term prevocational services

• Follow-up services once employment is attained

For qualified customers who received Intensive Services and were not able to obtain employment, PA CareerLink provides Training Services that are directly linked to job opportunities in CareerLink’s geographic area.  Services include:

• Occupational skills training

• On-the-job training

• Skill-upgrading

• Job-readiness training

• Adult education and literacy activities in conjunction with other training

• Follow-up services while in training and once employment is attained

For more information on PA CareerLink, Cambria County's Adult Employment and Training Services, contact Debbie Keiper at the PA CareerLink, Cambria County at (814) 533-2493, ext. 236 or dkeiper@goodwilljohnstown.org.  Or visit www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us or www.cambriacareerlink.org.
 

Eligibility is determined by the Workforce Investment Act guidelines.
Applicants can self-refer themselves by visiting the PA CareerLink, Cambria County at 445 Schoolhouse Road (former Vo-Tech), Richland.
Funded by the federally funded Workforce Investment Act made possible through the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board.
Coverage area by counties:  Cambria.

 School-to-Work Transition

GICV’s School-to-Work Transition Program enables students who have documented disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, and are enrolled in school districts in GICV’s six-county service area, to have the opportunity to work in a sheltered environment while earning a commensurate wage based on their performance as compared to persons who do not have disabilities.  Students are referred by Pennsylvania’s Intermediate Units or their Learning Support Teachers from their respective school districts.
 

In the School-to-Work Transition Program, students work in a retail processing department of one of GICV’s 10 Goodwill retail stores or at GICV’s Developmental Disabilities Services program building, alongside a GICV job coach at all times. 

The job coach works closely with the students while providing necessary feedback on their performance to assist them in improving their work skills.
 
For more information on GICV's School-to-Work Transition in Cambria County, contact Sabrina Steele at (814) 539-9857, ext. 231 or ssteele@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 
For information on GICV's School-to-Work Transition in Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset Counties, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility is determined by a documented mental or physical disability from a medical professional.

Applicants must be referred by the school districts or a medical professional.

Funded by the referring school districts.

Coverage area by county: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset.

 Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program

Through the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program (Ticket Program), which is the centerpiece of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, GICV provides recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) with an opportunity to obtain employment and reach a level of earned income that allows a beneficiary to support themselves and their families without receiving SSI or SSDI benefits.
 

GICV has been approved by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as an Employment Network to provide job training, employment services, and other support services to individuals with disabilities, whether mental, physical, developmental, health-related, or other, to facilitate their entry or re-entry into employment.   The SSA issues actual tickets to disability beneficiaries, ages 18–64, who are interested in working.  Beneficiaries can bring these tickets to GICV to receive job training and employment services. This Ticket Program benefits Americans with disabilities who want to work and employers who need qualified workers.

For more information on GICV's Ticket Program, contact Tara Burkey at (814) 536-3536, ext. 231 or tburkey@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 

Eligibility based on a ticket holder’s desire to obtain and maintain employment and become self-sufficient.

Applicants must be a recipient of a “Ticket to Work” issued by the Social Security Administration.
Funded by the Social Security Administration.
Coverage area by county: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset.

 YouthBuild Johnstown

With its long history of “teaching by doing,” GICV recognized an opportunity to be part of the national YouthBuild USA network and thus competitively bid for a grant by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2007.  In October 2007, GICV won a $500,000 award to start and operate YouthBuild Johnstown, beginning in Cambria County.
 
In June 2009, GICV received its second competitively bid grant award for $500,000, which enabled GICV to continue work developed under the initial grant, and to expand its operation into Windber and Conemaugh Township, Somerset County
 
Through YouthBuild Johnstown, GICV provides youth who have disadvantages to employment, with the chance to earn their GEDs, receive on-the-job training in a construction trade, and earn $7.25 per hour to do it.  The overall goal of this 6–11-month program is for youth to achieve economic self-sufficiency through an opportunity that they otherwise may not have had.
 
GICV, leading the 13-member YouthBuild Johnstown community partnership*:

• Enables youth with disadvantages to obtain their GEDs and employment skills to achieve economic self-sufficiency in many in-demand occupations and post-secondary education and training opportunities
  
  

• Teaches the construction trade and provides hands-on application of skills as the youth help to build or rehabilitate homes for families with low incomes
  
  

• Teaches leadership skills and assists participants in exercising leadership as they engage in a community development project and run their own Participant Council
  
  

• Prepares participants for the real world of work by providing specific instruction and connecting them with the public workforce investment system (PA CareerLink, Cambria County) and with employers in construction and other regional high-growth industries

Youth must be ages 16–24 who have left high school without a diploma (a small percentage may be high school graduates or have their GEDs, but are deficient in basic skills) who have one of the following barriers:

• Is of low income

• Has an incarcerated parent

• Is a juvenile or adult offender

• Is a current foster youth or aging out of foster care

• Has a disability

• Is a migrant farm worker

YouthBuild is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Workforce Investment, Division of Youth Services.
 
YouthBuild Johnstown graduated its first cohort in February 2009.
 
Enrollment is ongoing.  For more information on GICV's YouthBuild Johnstown, contact Mindy Rickabaugh at (814) 536-3536, ext. 291 or mrickabaugh@goodwilljohnstown.org.
 
*The 13-member YouthBuild Johnstown community partnership includes GICV as the lead agency, the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board, Johnstown Housing Authority, Redevelopment Authority of Cambria County, Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Greater Johnstown School District, Home Builders Association of the Alleghenies, Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce, Administrative Office of Juvenile Court Cambria County, Cambria County Assistance Office, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA.
 

Eligibility based on a list of criteria.
Applicants may contact GICV to determine enrollment acceptance.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Coverage area by county: Cambria and parts of Somerset.