Southwestern Pennsylvania has spent decades learning how to reinvent itself. The region that once depended heavily on coal, steel and manufacturing now has a much more diverse economy, but the transition has not always been easy. For people looking for work, the challenge is not necessarily a lack of opportunity. Increasingly, the problem is matching workers with the skills employers need.
One of Greene County’s greatest employment opportunities remains the energy industry.
The Marcellus and Utica shale formations transformed the energy landscape of southwestern Pennsylvania, creating jobs not only in drilling but in a much larger network of businesses supporting the industry. Employment opportunities can involve equipment operation, trucking, welding, electrical work, pipeline construction and maintenance, environmental services, mechanics, surveying, safety, laboratory work and other technical occupations.
The important point is that today’s energy economy requires considerably more than someone willing to work around a drilling rig. It needs people with specialized skills.
That creates an opportunity for Greene County’s workforce because many of those skills are transferable. A person trained as a welder, heavy-equipment operator, electrician, diesel mechanic or industrial technician can potentially find work in energy, construction, manufacturing or other industries. In other words, training for one occupation does not necessarily lock someone into one industry.
For someone in Greene County who is unemployed or considering a career change, education does not necessarily mean committing to four years of college. That is where workforce-development programs have become especially important.
PA CareerLink offers job-search assistance, career counseling, training information, resume assistance, career fairs, adult education and connections to apprenticeships. Its services are available to job seekers, students, veterans, mature workers and people re-entering the workforce.
