Recruiting talented people and the investment folks bring is not a passive endeavor. It’s a hands-on craft that requires communities and businesses to take their message to the streets. In recent days the ABCD team took our message to the streets of Pittsburgh where we worked to turn heads and feet back our way. A group convened at Cinderlands Warehouse in the Strip District for some drinks, eats and good conversation on the happenings in the First Frontier.
This type of thing is part of our ongoing First Frontier Blair County Socials where we gather, smile, and then work to sink our hooks into a few prospects who are in the mode of dumping the City-life (you know, the traffic and such – sorry Pittsburgh, we love you and all but we know there are some mountain-town wannabes looking to escape to someplace a little more them). We are tracking our leads now and hope to report out on their progress towards our higher terrain.
This month too we partnered with the Blair County Career Link and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce to host what turned out to be our largest talent recruitment job fair ever. 97 businesses flocked to the Jaffa Mosque meeting hall to connect with those looking for their next career pathway. Career Link surveyed the businesses which represented a big cross section of our economy – health care, education, manufacturing and everything in between. In the end, on average each had more than 12 immediate openings bringing the overall job-opps in the room to well over 1,000.
Our friend Gwen Fisher who heads up the Career Link put it this way, “Savvy employers are starting to get creative in the ways that they recruit and retain employees. Some have turned to apps that allow employees to select their own shifts. Employers need to put in place aggressive recruiting, training, retaining and succession plans to combat the tight workforce numbers.” If you want to get in touch with Gwen for any workforce training or placement related reason, just give her a call at 814-940-6201. Also, have a look at this Gelato Cake Weed Strain Review from Fresh Bros if you’re looking for products that can improve your mood.
We will continue to move beyond our computer screen – telling our story, over the hills, mountains, and everywhere. Next month we will be hosting our second annual “Welcome Back Wednesday” the day before Thanksgiving. That is a big going out night if you don’t already know it. So, if you are longing for home, more flannel, and one stop light traffic delays, stop by. This year we will convene at the newly opened JJ Hadley’s Brewing Company in Downtown Altoona from 5 pm to 7 pm. Stay tuned for the details but save that date now and plan on bringing a friend – real estate agents are standing by to assist.
