/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Event • Somerset County • Vision 2025 • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

Community Resource & Job Fair

Greater Johnstown United Neighborhoods and Vision2025 will host a Community Resource & Job Fair on Wednesday, November 8th from 5 to 7 PM at the Christ Centered Community Church (531 Somerset Street) in downtown Johnstown.

Approximately 140 available job openings will be featured at the fair. Representatives from various agencies will be able to provide information on a variety of topics such as education assistance, job seeker services and more.

For more information, click here. If you have any questions or would like to participate as an exhibitor, please contact Debi Balog by phone at (814) 262-8366 or by email at .

Hosted by:       

Coordinated by:      

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Media Releases • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

Wessel & Company and 1st Summit Bank Make 2017 List of Best Places to Work in PA

Congratulations to Wessel & Company and 1st Summit Bank on making the list of the 100 companies in PA to win a designation as a “Best Place to Work”!

The 2017 list represents 23,000 employees of 44 small, 27 medium and 29 large sized companies. In order to be eligible for this process, companies had to be a for-profit or non-profit business, be publicly or privately held, employ at least 15 people working in Pennsylvania and be in business for at least one year. What a great accomplishment!

Click here to view the full list of winning companies.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Somerset County • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

Debi Balog Receives Workforce Education Star Award

Recipients of Somerset County Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 awards (front row from left): Michele Beener, Sarah Bittner and Bill Arnold. Second row: Dr. V. Krishnan Nair. Third row: Godfrey Mendes, JoAlyce Kopinski, Jason Kaplitz and Debi Balog. Fourth row: Susan Walker and George Walker.

The Somerset County Chamber of Commerce honored 13 recipients of its 2017 awards for service to the region on Thursday, October 19, at a reception held at the Somerset Country Club.

“In every award, there is a level of commitment, dedication, volunteerism and so many other things. More than simply words written on a piece of paper, it’s a commitment to our community and region,” said Ron Aldom, executive director of the chamber.

Debi Balog, JARI Director of Workforce Development, was honored with the Workforce Education Star. This first-time award is presented to an educator or business representative who has made a significant impact on connecting students to career opportunities while also making an impact on providing skilled workers to local businesses. The recipient is selected by the chamber’s Success in Somerset County Committee.

Others honored include: Michele Beener, Sarah Bittner, Bill Arnold, Dr. V. Krishnan Nair, Godfrey Mendes, JoAlyce Kopinski, Jason Kaplitz, Susan Walker and George Walker.

The award winners will be celebrated at the 77th annual Somerset County Chamber of Commerce Dinner on November 9 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

To read the full article, click here.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

Students Have Opportunity to Engage With  Area Professionals

Panel facilitator (left): Tobie Gunby; Panelist left to right: Chad Miller, Johnstown Police Department; Kayla Cobaugh, the Learning Lamp; Mike Hinson, API Technologies; Tim Mallon, Pepsi Co.; SSG Aaron Eddington, US Army

On Thursday, October 19, JARI and the Human Resources Association of the Alleghenies (HRAA) hosted the 6th Annual Youth Professional Development Conference (YPDC) at the Pasquerilla Conference Center in downtown Johnstown.

The conference hosted nearly 180 students in grades 10-12 from 13 school districts.  Students heard from area business leaders including keynote speaker Robert Heinrich, Academic Academy Principal at Greater Johnstown High School.

YPDC gives students the opportunity to engage with a variety of business and industry leaders and human resources professionals. Students also attended sessions on resume building and interviewing, social media/cyber security, teens in the workplace, and various career options with regional employers.

Additional community leaders who gave their time as session speakers and panelists include: Mike Stohan, In-Shore Technologies; Tim Mallon, PepsiCo; Mike Hinson, API Technologies; SSG Aaron Eddington, US Army; Renee Shaw, PA CareerLink Cambria County; Tonia Gordon, Mount Aloysius College; Brittany Snedden, Student, Mount Aloysius College; Chad Miller, Johnstown Police Department, and Kayla Cobaugh, the Learning Lamp.

For more information on the Youth Conference click here or contact Debi Balog at (814) 262-8366 or via e-mail .

Mike Stohan, In-Shore Technologies, presents information on social media and cyber security.
/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Entrepreneurship/ 0 Comments

Startup Alleghenies Program Update

Since June 2017 there have been over 80 people that have shown serious interest in launching a business in Blair, Cambria and Somerset counties. The industry sectors that are being considered by entrepreneurs in our region are a positive sign of a diverse and stronger economic outlook for our area.

Many of our entrepreneurs are participating in various workshops that are being offered by partners in our Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Recently several members of the Startup Alleghenies Entrepreneurial Ecosystem participated in the “Pittsburgh Technology Council Tech 50 Awards” event. The variety of technology based companies nominated or awarded was very exciting. Advancements in technology will impact a number of industries. Congratulations to all the winners.

For more information on the Startup Alleghenies program, contact José Luis Otero at  or by phone at (814) 254-4023.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • PTAC/ 0 Comments

NCMA Greater Johnstown Announces National Education Seminar

The Greater Johnstown Chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) is hosting a National Education Seminar (NES) on Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM.  “FAR Essentials” is a one-day NES workshop that presents the essential topics from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): the source of the uniform policies and procedures for acquisition by all U.S. federal government agencies. This seminar will explore in-depth the 28 essential topics of the FAR to be mastered by government and industry contract management professionals.  Topics to be discussed include:
  • General Acquisition Planning
  • Contracting Methods and Types
  • Socio-Economic Programs
  • General Contracting Requirements
  • Contract Management

Registration for this workshop closes October 31, 2017.  See the attached flyer and registration form for additional details.  Please contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Financing & incentives/ 0 Comments

Email Marketing for Small Businesses

On Thursday, November 2, Brian Law of Prime Design Solutions, will present Email Marketing for Small Businesses. Law will discuss email marketing and the pros and cons from various email marketing providers. Attendees will learn how to get started with email marketing, how it supports content marketing and social media strategies, creative ways to build an email list and what the SPAM laws mean.

This Lunch & Learn will be held at JARI Center (160 Jari Drive, Johnstown, PA) from 12 PM to 1:15 PM. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration form. Registrations are due by October 31. No shows on the day of the event will be billed.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Media Releases • PTAC/ 0 Comments

Kitron Event Marks Expanded Capabilities in the U.S.

Peter Nilsson, Kitron CEO and Jason Galiote, Kitron US General Manager, announced expanded capabilities during a Government Business Development Forum held on October 6, 2017. Recently Kitron, an electronics manufacturing services company, installed a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) line at its Johnstown facility. This technology allows Kitron to offer its customers a complete solution including printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), box-builds, and high-end assembly.

Kitron also announced a strategic partnership with JWF Industries. This partnership will allow Kitron and JWF Industries to explore opportunities for which they may not otherwise be qualified. Additional partnership building is expected as new opportunities arise. Kitron intends to continue to grow its Defense sector business but the new line and partnership creates additional market opportunities.

Please contact the JARI PTAC for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

Left to right: Ed Sheehan, CEO – Concurrent Technologies Corporation; Jason Galiote, US General Manager – Kitron; Peter Nilsson, CEO – Kitron; Bill Polacek, CEO – JWFI; and Frode Ilebekk, Business Development Manager – Kitron

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

Safety Conference Provides Key Health and Safety Information for Area Companies

Nearly 170 individuals completed eight hours of health and safety training and earned 0.8 continuing education credits toward their safety committee and professional certifications.

Eighteen health and safety experts donated their time to offer high-quality workshops on a variety of topics. The information presented will help participants create a safer and healthier work environment.

Many thanks go to the sponsors, speakers and exhibitors for their assistance in making this event a huge success. This year’s Gold Sponsors included: BAE Systems, Damin Printing, DiVal Safety, and PHOENIX Rehabilitation and Health Services. For a full list of sponsors, click here.

Also, a special thank you to the conference committee: Lauren Brewer, JARI; Daren Cuppett, Ron Donaldson and Kathy Garris, Lockheed Martin AeroParts; George Erisman, Galliker Dairy; Chad Gyorke, DRS Technologies; Tessa Minnick, Pepsi Bottling Group; Paul Seitz, PHOENIX Rehabilitation and Health Services; Dave Johnson and Jerry Burkhart, North American Höganäs.

The 16th Annual Alleghenies Regional Safety Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

For more information on the Safety Conference and/or the Safety Industry Partnership, please contact Debi Balog at (814) 262-8366 or via e-mail .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

HUBZone Maps Have Been Updated

Somerset County in its entirety was added to the Small Business Administration HUBZone program with the release of the Qualified Non-metropolitan County (QNMC) unemployment data at the beginning of August. The online interactive map has just been updated to reflect that change. Businesses located in Somerset County who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply for the program if interested or are currently doing business with the Federal Government.

If you would like to learn more about the HUBZone Program or have any other government contracting needs, please contact us at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .