FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2022
Organizations Team Up for ‘Workforce Recovery’ Breakfast
WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce and representatives from several regional organizations announced they have teamed up to hold a free ‘Workforce Recovery’ Breakfast event on Wednesday, June 8.
The event will begin at 8 a.m. and will take place inside WesBanco Arena’s Club Room. The team, representing the Ohio County Family Resource Network (FRN), the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, the American Job Center, the Office of Drug Control Policy, the Re-Entry Alliance for the Ohio Valley, and Jobs and Hope West Virginia aims to educate employers about second chance employment. “We want to let employers in the region know they have options when it comes to the hiring challenges they’re facing,” said Ohio County FRN Executive Director Claudia Raymer. “There are great candidates out there who may have encountered some challenges in their past, but they are ready to re-join the workforce and be successful contributors to a team.”
The breakfast will include brief presentations and success stories about employers who have taken advantage of programs and funds available regarding alternative hires. The event will also encourage employers to network and talk collectively about the challenges they are facing in hiring a workforce. “Gainful employment leads to a decrease in recidivism and return to use rates. It's an economic driver, a means for an individual to establish self-sufficiency and/or provide for their family, and a benefit to our communities,” said Sara Wood-Shaw, a Transition Agent with Jobs and Hope West Virginia. “Recovery friendly and second chance employment initiatives can be part of the solution for West Virginia's workforce participation challenges.
Hancock through Tyler County, Jobs & Hope WV has over 90 participants successfully employed at businesses small and large including the WV Division of Highways, Pepsi Corporation, Wissmach Glass Company, Silgan Plastics, and more. It's a win-win situation for businesses struggling to find employees and individuals ready and willing to work.”
The breakfast is free to attend, but interested employers are asked to RSVP to ocfrnoffice@yahoo.com by Wednesday, June 1.
Doors will open at 8 a.m. for networking and presentations will run from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.