Westmoreland County employers say they have a tough time finding workers who want to work

In an era when some businesses offer a flexible post-covid schedule, some employers at a job fair in Hempfield on Wednesday said it is a challenge to find employees willing to work — and do it five days a week at a job site and be there when the company needs them.

“We have opportunities for apprentices and people who want to be trained. It’s finding people who want to work and show up on time for work,” that is the challenge, said John Barth, owner of Ben Franklin Plumbing Co., at the Westmoreland Assists Native Talent Job & Career Expo at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfied.

The jobs being offered by a mix of about four dozen employers from government, health care, manufacturing, banking and educational institutions, attracted about 100 people over a three-hour period, a job fair spokesperson said.

To entice workers to take a job as a machine operator and maintenance technician at Triumvirate Environmental in Jeannette, the company offers a $1,000 bonus for staying on the job for six months and another $1,000 if they last a year, along with a starting wage of $19 an hour.

The company has 10 openings, said Beverly Walters, talent acquisition specialist for Triumvirate, which takes lab-contaminated plastic from settings such as hospitals and extrudes the plastic and forms it into pieces like plastic lumber.

Even with the financial incentives and benefits package, Walters said some prospective employees won’t appear for a job interview and others simply “ghost” her by failing to notify her they won’t sit for an interview.

Walters, like some other human resources personnel, said she suspects some were playing the game just to fulfill requirements for looking for a job while collecting unemployment compensation.

The opportunity for job security that comes with plying a skilled trade like plumbing is not always enough to get someone to work.

“We never shut down during the pandemic,” said Barth, whose business is based in Somerset and has a shop in Youngwood.

Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research Inc. in Youngstown tests materials in a variety of manufacturing industries. It is looking for workers willing to be machinists, and those with engineering backgrounds to be project managers, said Mehgan Riley, the company’s human resources manager. The company is willing to train workers, but Riley said she has found that some people are not interested in a business that operates all three shifts.

Armed with a degree in computer science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Devin Cramer, 29, of North Versailles said he found several prospects for jobs among the businesses at the site.

“I’ve got a lot of leads,” said Cramer, who plans to review the information and apply for jobs.

Among those looking for work were Molly Henderson of Unity and Margie Deverse of Southwest Greensburg, who were laid off Feb. 15 from their jobs as part of the staff at Triangle Tech Inc., a for-profit training school in Greensburg.

The women, with extensive experience in the education field, said they are still adjusting to their recent job loss.

“I want to stay in the education field,” Deverse said, holding a stack of fliers and literature from employers.