Published: October 26, 2008 11:47 pm      

Somerset County job fair comes up short

Lack of trained employees problem for companies in need of workers

SOMERSET, Pa. — Jobs are available in Somerset County.

Finding trained employees for the positions is another story.

The discrepancy was clearly apparent at the fourth annual Somerset County Job Fair on Thursday, where 54 companies and government agencies searched for qualified employees.

“There’s opportunities and companies with positions open,” said Vince Pavik, the county’s human resources director. “But it’s like trying to find a square peg to fit into a square hole, and all we have are a lot of round pegs in the county.”

An estimated 350 to 400 job seekers attended the fair, held at the Quality Inn near the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange.

Among the companies and colleges present were Allegany College of Maryland’s Somerset Campus, Lockheed Martin, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, the U.S. Navy, state prisons and others. Some of the pressing jobs are electricians, welders, machinists, engineering, health-care and finance, County Commissioner Jimmy Marker said.

“We need to do a better job in work force development in training people in the areas where the jobs are,” Marker said.

The county is taking steps to fill those needs, said Kerri Burtner, the county’s comprehensive plan coordinator. Officials are working on a consortium between the commissioners, the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council, Johnstown Area Regional Industries and school districts.

“We want to bridge the gap between education and businesses in the county,” Burtner said.

Lockheed Martin is looking for a quality assurance analyst, a human resources assistant, an accounting assistant and other positions.

“The skill set is hard to find, especially within our area,” said Lynette McEvoy, a human resources specialist for the company.

Seven Springs handed out nearly a dozen applications in the opening hour and received three responses.

“There are means of training people to become a good fit,” said Joy Lishia, a staffing specialist in the resort’s human resources department.