The Community Service/Paid Work Experience Program can provide businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations additional help for 20 to 30 hours per week. A Community Service/Paid Work Experience worker provides help in carrying out tasks that would normally be performed by paid employees if there were sufficient resources to pay for the work. Participation in this program cannot result in the displacement of current employees, reduction of hours and/or overtime, or infringe in any way upon the promotional opportunities of current employees. The work site may not substitute these workers for individuals on lay-off from the same or equivalent positions.
The worksite will place the participant on their payroll and meet all federal, state and local health and safety requirements. The worksite will also furnish work that has value and supervision for the participant. The worksite also agrees to cooperate and respond to requests for information needed to complete an audit.
The worksite invoices Bradford County Action monthly for:
- Number of hours worked at minimum wage
- Employer share of FICA
- Employer share of Medicare
- Workman’s compensation at the worksite’s rate
Bradford County Action will place the worker at a worksite that would contribute most to their employment goal. Bradford County Action will ensure that the worksite understands the time reporting requirements, accurately completes the monthly time sheet and ascertain the worksite understands the supervision requirements. Bradford County Action will reimburse the worksite in a timely manner.
On-the-Job Training (OJT) is available to area employers through the Workforce Investment Act. (WIA) OJT occurs while the new employee is engaged in productive work which provides knowledge and skills essential to the full and adequate performance of the job. WIA pays up to half of an employees' wage and the employer pays the remainder during the OJT period. An OJT shall be limited to a period not in excess of that generally required for the acquisition of skills needed for the position within a particular occupation. Specific program requirements are discussed with the employer and employee at the time of the development of the OJT contract. New employees participating in this program must be eligible for OJT sponsorship and must get a professional WIA eligibility determination done by Bradford County Action staff prior to starting employment. Youth OJT employers must guarantee a wage of at least $8.00/hr. at the completion of the OJT.
Work place Classes are available to area businesses. These classes provide academic skills refresher and GED instruction. Employers are consulted to arrange scheduling for this type of class. The first class for all new students is an initial information and assessment class. Employees are welcome to attend classes at Bradford County Action if they are not available at the work site. Available to anyone 17 years and older.
Pennsylvania CareerLink provides a number of free services designed to link employers and job seekers. Employers are able to post job orders and potential employees can search through these job orders to find jobs of interest to them. Employees may also post their resume in an online form and employers can then match job openings to potential employees on the basis of their résumés. CareerLink can coordinate Job Fairs designed to connect large numbers of employees with potential employers.
