The Career Development Center in Squirrel Hill has been helping employers and job seekers respond to changes in the labor market for two decades.
Founded in 1983 by the Jewish Family & Children's Service, the CDC has helped approximately 10,000 adults who needed to find new employment, return to the work force after an absence, change careers or update their job skills. Local employers have found the center's services useful in helping them locate qualified employees.
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have partnered with the CDC to obtain referrals about potential employees. Officials in the human resources department at Mercy have also turned to the center for outplacement assistance, which offers comprehensive services for former employees and support to the company's management team.
"When we need to eliminate a position due to restructuring, I use the CDC to provide outplacement services to the affected individuals. I also work with the CDC on receiving candidate referrals for open positions," said Kristen Bell, executive director of human resources at PMHS. "They can offer us a databank of highly qualified individuals that they have "Stretching job dates" - a practice some resume writers use to cover lapses in their work history - is particularly common, Mr Fitzgerald said. Ironically, Mr. Fitzgerald said that many times applicants would have landed the position if they just would have told the truth.