Westmoreland County Prison benefits from job fair
The Westmoreland County Prison will be welcoming 10 part-time correctional officer candidates thanks to the success of the county’s first job fair last week.
Warden John Walton was thrilled with the favorable result for the prison.
“We did very well,” Walton told prison board members at Monday’s meeting after he asked that the 10 candidates be approved.
The part-time correction officer applicants that were hired pending completion of hiring requirements like physicals and background checks, were Keith Alincic, Richard Bizon, Alexander Blasey, Chelsey Cook, Michael Gross, Tyler Mathias, Jerry Nixon, Tyler Nelson, and Ashley Perillo.
According to county Human Resources Director Amanda Bernard, the prison wasn’t the only department that had success filling jobs. Prior to the job fair, the county had about 50 open positions, including the 10 at the prison, 11 at the Children’s Bureau and a number of openings for 911 dispatchers. There were also some unfilled clerical positions at the courthouse, and dietary and recreation department openings at Westmoreland Manor.
Bernard said the Children’s Bureau filled four of the 11 positions, with five more pending while candidates finish up the Civil Service exam requirement. Also, the bureau has continued to receive applications and Bernard anticipates that the department can fill the remaining two positions.
Facing a nursing shortage, the county-run nursing home was also looking to hire 15 nurses for the facility. The county lifted its residency requirement earlier this year for new nurse hires in an attempt to get more candidates.
The daylong event was held Thursday at the Ramada Hotel in Greensburg. Bernard said this is the county’s first time holding a job fair, but it certainly won’t be the last.
“Absolutely, (we would do it again). It was very successful,” said Bernard.
She hopes to plan job fairs at least twice a year, or quarterly if there is a need.
In addition, Bernard said that data was compiled during the registration process that will help the county not only track candidates, but how they learned about the job fair, and other pertinent information.
In other personnel moves, the prison board also approved the following resignations: Jeffrey Riffle, part-time correctional officer, effective Aug. 5; Matthew Milan, full-time correctional officer, effective Aug. 10; Giuseppe Barbieri, part-time correctional officer, effective Aug. 30.