PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced the city is increasing its involvement in a local job placement program, both financially and through involvement in city organizations.
The third annual "Imagine Career Week" program kicked off on Monday.
Channel 4 Action News' Ari Hait reported the idea behind the event is to connect employers with high school students so the students can get some ideas about what their futures might look like.
More than 100 employers and school districts were on hand for the event kickoff, organized by the Allegheny Conference and the 3 Rivers Workforce Investment Board.
Organizers said there are currently 22,000 available jobs in the Pittsburgh region and employers have a hard time finding qualified applicants.
"At the same time, we have young people walking around famously saying that they can't find a job. There's a big disconnect there someplace," said Paul Leger of the Allegheny Conference.
"This is a city where there are options and opportunities to stay, to grow and to prosper," said Ron Painter of the 3 Rivers Workforce Investment Board.
That's where Imagine Career Week comes in; it connects employers with high school students. The students go to the job sites, the employers go to the classrooms. Each gets to know the other and gets to know what's available, Hait reported.
"Understand the region, understand the school districts that you're working with and with that, you form a partnership to whereas they send you the employees," said Bob Johnston of PRC.
"To continue to build our company and the employees we have, we think it's important to reach out, make sure students are aware of what opportunities are available," said Johnnetta Jarrett of PJ Dick Corp.
Thousands of students will take part in Imagine Career Week, which runs through Friday.
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