Westmoreland County Prison fills a dozen vacancies at job fair

The county job fair at Westmoreland Mall was a big success, officials said.

More than 40 applications were received for 50-plus vacant jobs in county government, according to Sam Miller, associate director of the human resources department.

“It seems to have been a successful event,” Miller said.

The goal of the March 4 event was to fill jobs that in some cases had remained vacant for a year or more. Those included openings in several departments, among them that included the children’s bureau, 911 center and Westmoreland Manor.

Westmoreland County Prison hired 12 new guards, said Warden Bryan Kline.

Interviews and agility tests were conducted at the job fair, and three of the new hires were immediately placed in training classes that started Monday. Another nine new hires will begin training April 5, according to the warden.

Kline said there were nearly two dozen vacant jobs at the jail before hiring event, with 10 remaining.

“This was a huge success for us,” Kline said.

Job vacancies has been an ongoing problem for the county as it has struggled to fill positions throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The county employs about 1,800 workers.

A listing of available jobs can be found on the county’s website, www.co.westmoreland.pa.us.

The county held its first job fair in August 2019. At the time, officials said they wanted to make it an annual event. Those plans were suspended because of the pandemic.

Last week’s job fair was the second.