Gov. Tom Corbett Launches First-of-its-Kind Statewide Career Tool for Students and Job Seekers

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gov. Tom Corbett today unveiled 'Pennsylvania Career Coach,' a first-of-its-kind, statewide, free online tool designed to help Pennsylvania students and job seekers make lasting career choices.

"Whether you are a new graduate, someone who has lost your job and is searching for a new one, or a student still deciding which profession you will pursue, my administration is here to help and PA Career Coach is a step in the right direction," Corbett said. "PA Career Coach is not just another job search website. It is designed to help Pennsylvanians make lasting career choices."

Developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Pennsylvania Career Coach will provide up-to-date local employment data such as current and projected job openings, recent job growth areas, estimated earnings and occupations that match with a user's current skills and knowledge, as well as specific educational programs in the local area that will prepare an individual for a given occupation.

"My number one priority as governor is jobs; and today we take another step toward making sure Pennsylvanians are ready for the jobs that become available," Corbett said during the launch today in Harrisburg.

"On PA Career Coach, you can learn about jobs close to home or as far as 100 miles away. You can also find out which careers are in high demand or in fields that are just emerging," Corbett said.

"These are jobs for everybody, not just the highly trained professionals. The site is the place to go to find out what kind of skills you might need and how to go about acquiring that training," Corbett said.

"Visitors need only provide their first name and ZIP code in order to be able to look at details of more than 800 occupations. The site provides printable reports that highlight the outlook of specific careers or a comparison of wage potential and skills within a certain occupation or industry," Secretary of Labor & Industry Julia Hearthway said.

"Career Coach takes job hunting to the next level," Community College of Philadelphia President Stephen M. Curtis said. "It connects high school graduates and displaced workers to available jobs and to the colleges and universities that offer degree programs. They can even use a smartphone or wireless device to learn about occupations, review salaries and assess whether they have the interest and skills required to succeed."

Labor & Industry's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis developed the online tool as part of an effort to help Philadelphia-area students and job seekers. During the development stages, the tool was expanded to serve the entire state. Community College of Philadelphia will be the first Pennsylvania educational institution to use PA Career Coach.

PA Career Coach is part of a more comprehensive job-matching initiative that will be launched later this year.

For more information on PA Career Coach, visit www.pacareercoach.org.

Media contacts:
Kelli Roberts, Governor's Office, 717-783-1116
Sara Goulet, Department of Labor & Industry, 717-787-7530

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor