About Us

Since 2001, when 14 employment, social service, and educational organizations agreed to work together as one entity, the PA CareerLink® of Lancaster County has grown to include many programs and services. The PA CareerLink® serves as a connecting link between Lancaster County residents and area businesses.

Partnering with organizations across Lancaster County

See Our Partners

Mission
& Vision

PA CareerLink® Lancaster County

The mission of PA CareerLink® of Lancaster County is to coordinate, develop, and maintain an effective and responsive system of programs and services that integrate the needs of employers for an ample and productive workforce with the needs of Lancaster County residents for meaningful work that enhances their quality of life.

We see a system that takes a leading and influencing role within what is really a network of systems. We envision a workforce that is adequate in numbers and equipped with a work ethic, foundational academic skills, and specific occupational skills that fit the needs of local employers and that rival those of another area with which we are in competition. We see a diverse workforce and prospective workforce with equal access to educational resources and a diverse job market where there is equal opportunity for all workers and prospective workers.

In addition, we see an environment where individuals find success and satisfaction in their careers and in the financial rewards that flow from them. We envision a system that is responsive to workforce needs as they emerge with the power and influence to make change happen. Ultimately, this overall process keeps the Lancaster County economy strong by encouraging established businesses to grow and prospective businesses to consider Lancaster County as a venue for their enterprises.

Services

Some of the services CareerLink® provides to Lancaster County residents seeking employment include:

  • Free use of computers and internet for job search
  • Various virtual and in-person workshops including Resume and Interviewing Skills
  • Job leads
  • Skill assessments and aptitude testing
  • Career Connections Program

CareerLink® also provides the following services to Lancaster County employers:

  • Recruitment services
  • Hiring assistance
  • Training cost assistance

Goals

Our goals flow from our vision of the economy, the workplace, and the community as we see it evolving in the years to come:

  • Build and maintain a workforce that is adequate in numbers to meet the emerging needs of current and prospective Lancaster County businesses;
  • Develop and maintain a workforce that is equipped with a work ethic, foundational academic  skills, and specific occupational skills that fit the emerging needs of local employers and that rival those of other areas with which we are in competition
  • Assure equal access to all Lancaster County residents in education and employment;
  • Assist all Lancaster County residents in finding success and satisfaction in their careers;
  • Develop and maintain an effective and efficient workforce system that uses the and influence of the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board to attract partners, build alliances and coordinate resources.

Performance Indicators

There will be a variety of key variables that will allow the Board to gauge the overall performance of the workforce system. They include:

  • A continually growing workforce,
  • A lower unemployment rate,
  • An increased number of people entering targeted occupational categories (gold collar jobs),
  • More students enrolling in education and training programs that expand and complement the traditional four-year college option,
  • A lower dropout rate among high school graduates who do participate in post-secondary education of all kinds,
  • Less remedial training needed on the job for high school graduates,
  • Lower dropout rate among high school students,
  • More people participating in continuing education activities,
  • Higher literacy rate among the County population, and
  • A lower number of people on public assistance of all kinds

1st Q PY 2024 Detail

1st Quarter PY 2024 Graph