PennDOT Highlights Career Opportunities PennDOT District 4 highlighted opportunities to join the PennDOT team in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is seeking hardworking individuals to work from September 2021 through April 2022 in the Winter Maintenance Program! If you enjoy working in a fast-paced and dedicated environment on a seasonal basis, or with the potential for promotion into a permanent position, this is the job for you. Please go to www.employment.pa.gov or click here to apply today. Watch this video to see how you can make a difference in the Winter Maintenance Program! “Engineering District 4, which is responsible for Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counites has immediate openings for transportation equipment operators with commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), diesel and construction equipment mechanics, auto mechanics, laborers, and radio dispatchers in all counties. We need to fill almost 100 CDL operator positions and 23 non-operator positions, District-wide for this winter.” said Jonathan Eboli, Assist District Executive of PennDOT District 4. Starting hourly rates are: · Transportation Equipment/CDL Operator ($19.24)· Diesel & Construction Equipment Mechanic ($20.40)· Auto Mechanic ($18.08)· Semi-Skilled Laborer ($16.05)· Tradesman Helper ($16.05)· Welder ($18.08)· Radio Dispatcher ($14.25)· Custodial Worker ($14.25)· Stock Clerk ($14.25) Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website. Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties at www.penndot.gov/District4. Information about infrastructure in District 4, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D4Results.
Settlers Hospitality Makes an Investment in its Workforce At the start of what promises to be a busy summer season, Settlers Hospitality announced an ambitious program to benefit its 300 plus strong workforce. The plan calls for an increased starting wage of $15 an hour company wide. The base living wage will be extended to current employees as well as new hires. The investment in its team is also an acknowledgment of the rising cost of living throughout Northeast PA. Additionally, salaried staff will see a cost of living increase and the company is also planning to expand its employee benefits package. “We want all our employees to be able to live and play in the community where we work,” explained CEO/Owner Justin Genzlinger. “Our team is undoubtedly our greatest asset. This is our way of expressing how much we value everyone at Settlers Hospitality and want to help them secure their future.” Guests may notice new initiatives that will enable the program by directly benefitting employees, which will enhance the quality of the visitor experience overall. Settlers Hospitality has multiple openings for full and part-time positions at all of its locations. Potential candidates can begin a career in the hospitality industry with a role that matches their interests and availability. Applicants may find employment as waitstaff, bartenders, chefs, bakers, housekeepers, personal trainers, baristas, dishwashers, front desk staff, maintenance workers, event planners and more. “We’re proud to lead the way among the hospitality industry in the Pocono Mountains with this investment in our team,” said Genzlinger. “Not only is this a well-deserved boost for our staff, it’s a sign of confidence in the return of tourism, and business in general, after an unprecedented year of challenges.” For more information about job openings, visit settlershospitality.com.
More Than 96,000 Jobs Supported Through NBT Bank’s PPP Funding Efforts Since the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) opened in 2020, NBT Bank has funded over 6,000 loans exceeding $830 million in relief. These funds support small businesses and not-for-profit organizations in the communities NBT serves. “With more than $285 million secured through 3,000 loans in 2021, the average size PPP loan at NBT for this most recent round of funding was $94,000,” said NBT Bank President and CEO John H. Watt, Jr. “In total, we provided support to organizations that employ 96,000 workers.” The organizations supported by the PPP loans secured through NBT Bank include numerous main street retailers and minority and women-owned businesses, as well as rural hospitals and nursing homes, human and family services organizations, farms and other agricultural businesses, educational institutions, manufacturers, restaurants, contractors and construction businesses. “The banking industry has played a crucial role in delivering relief through the PPP loan program to provide businesses and non-profits and their employees with a bridge to the post-pandemic economy. At NBT, we are proud of our team and their efforts to leverage our lending, operational and technical expertise to aggressively support this program,” concluded Watt.
CANPACK Group Hosts Ceremonial Event The CANPACK Group held a ceremonial event on Friday March 19 with state and local officials along with community leaders. A short program was presented marking the 908,000-square-foot aluminum can manufacturing plant being completely under roof with final construction expected to be in May. In July of 2020, The CANPACK Group – a subsidiary of Blandon, PA-based GIORGI GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC. (GGHI) – announced the construction a state of the art aluminum beverage can body and ends manufacturing plant. President and CEO of GGHI Peter Giorgi remarked that “this is CANPACK’s first plant in the United States and will feature a North American Center of Excellence which will demonstrate our R&D and lithographic capabilities. In anticipation of this ceremonial event, Mr. Giorgi added: “We are extremely excited to be bringing CANPACK to the United States and to my home state of Pennsylvania, and we are very pleased that Roberto Villaquiran, CEO of the CANPACK Group, will be joining us in person for this event as well as our leadership team for CANPACK US.” The new $366 million facility in Olyphant will create more than 400 skilled and semi-skilled jobs. CANPACK will open the first of its assembly lines in September with further lines to follow.Roberto Villaquiran, CANPACK’s CEO, notes that “providing life sustaining jobs while creating essential packaging products which can be recycled again and again is foundational with respect to CANPACK’s focus on sustainability, being a responsible corporate citizen, and passionately serving the needs of our customers.” Brooke Lipperini, HR Manager o f CANPACK US, added, “We are hiring passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. This is an exciting time for CANPACK and we welcome those who want to be a part of the creation of a major manufacturing facility that brings great sustainable product to our great country.” Learn more at Canpack.com.
A Letter on Workforce Initiatives Dear Chamber Members: The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and our workforce development affiliate, Skills in Scranton, are working to support member businesses with pandemic economic recovery. In the past year we’ve held numerous webinars, industry collaborative meetings, and conducted one-on-one interviews with many Chamber members. Through the outreach, we learned that workforce is a common concern – specifically the availability and access to a qualified labor pool. To assist our members with their workforce needs, we’ve implemented three new programs. Workforce Wednesday: Each week, one Chamber member business will join us to share information about job openings and company culture. The programs are hosted on Zoom and available on Facebook.Chamber Job Board: The Chamber recently launched a new Job Board for members to open positions at no cost. Small Business Internship Fund: If you are looking for help to grow your business, the Chamber can match you with a college student that can work virtually or on-site. We have access to a pool of students who are ready to gain real-world experience and are immediately available to work or intern. Qualified Chamber members can receive funding to offset internship wages. To learn more about these Chamber workforce development programs, contact Brianna Florovito at bflorovito@scrantonchamber.com or 570-342-7711. Sincerely, Bob DurkinChamber President Patrick Fricchione Jr.Chamber Board Chair
