Workforce Development and Libraries

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries' 2018-2022 Library Services and Technology Act five-year plan identified workforce development services as a priority.

The Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development endorsed this work by resolving to:

• Encourage public libraries' efforts to work with workforce investment boards in order to advance workforce development for employers and job-seekers in Pennsylvania.

A​n Executive Order that identified the Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development as one of fourteen agencies that the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board should collaborate and coordinate with in order to develop statewide policies that improve workforce development.

Developing Workforce Agency Partnerships

Recommendations about how libraries can collaborate with local agencies:

1. Be familiar with your community's Local Workforce Development Area(s) (LWDA).​
   
2. Coordinate your communications with nearby libraries that are located in your LWDA.
3. Meet with your local Workforce Development Board’s (WDB) executive director. Introduce yourself and the libraries in the LWDA’s geographic area.

• Tell them about the services that your library provides to job seekers and employers.
• Discuss how you can participate in the WDB’s planning process.  Could you make a presentation to the WDB or be part of planning meetings?
• Discuss how you can help make local workforce development services more accessible and cost-effective. Some examples are:
  • The PA CareerLink® Blair County is now located in the Altoona​ Area Public Library.
  • The PA CareerLink® Cambria County is now located at the Cambria County Library in Johnstown, PA.
  • In northwest PA, mobile CareerLink services have been implemented.  Libraries could be a site to obtain these services.
  • Montgomery and Bucks WDBs provide libraries with funds to purchase LearningExpress, an online educational resource.
  • In some LWDA’s, librarians have been asked to serve on the local WDB, or are part of a WDB committee.

Public Libraries: Your Partner in Workforce Development

​Public libraries are eager to work with other agencies to more closely align with local workforce development activities. Here are some of the assets that public libraries bring to the table:

1. Library services are available at no charge for library card holders. To get a card, community residents need up-to-date identification (such as a driver’s license).
2. Libraries offer extended evening and weekend hours.
3. Libraries have computers with high-speed Internet connections for public use.
4. Libraries have books and specialized online reference resources about occupations, schools, financial aid, resume-writing, interview techniques, employers and skill improvement.
5. Libraries also have test preparation practice guides (print and online) for academic, military, occupational, licensing, high school equivalency, English as a second language, and workplace assessment such as WorkKeys.
6. Libraries have staff who are trained to help people with information and technology questions.
7. Many libraries offer meeting rooms and free classes on careers, resume-writing, and technology. Some provide annual job fairs and networking events for employers and job seeks. Some also have MakerSpaces to learn about high-tech equipment and skills.
   

The majority of public libraries in Pennsylvania are non-profit organizations; others are agencies of municipal or county government. Public libraries in Pennsylvania are assigned to one of 29 District Library Center areas. (map below.) Each District Library Center has a designated headquarters library that provides reference services. These District Library Centers can help you identify libraries that might best suit your specific needs.