Penn State Wilkes-Barre held a groundbreaking Wednesday, Oct. 17, for the newest building on the 54-acre Lehman campus, to be called the Struthers Family Career Services Center.
“I believe a superior career services program is a key ingredient in allowing our students and young alumni to fulfill their career aspirations,” explained presenting donor, Richard K. Struthers ’77. “I have seen, at University Park, what a first-class Career Services Center can do to prepare our students for that next chapter. As a proud alumnus of the Wilkes-Barre campus, I am dedicated to seeing a comprehensive Career Services Center on campus.”
The $1 million Struthers Family Career Services Center at Penn State Wilkes-Barre will significantly enhance the ability to serve students from the five Penn State campuses (Lehigh Valley, Hazleton, Schuylkill, Worthington Scranton and Wilkes-Barre) located in eastern Pennsylvania. The 2,330 square feet center will have all the necessary resources to help students tackle today’s highly competitive job market, including a dedicated career services reception area, a state-of-the-art Career Information Center for students, two offices for the principal career service administrators, three interview rooms, a video interview room and a conference room. This new building will be adjacent to the Athletics and Recreation Building located on the east side of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus.
“A new Career Services Center at Penn State Wilkes-Barre will have a real, lasting impact on the students at the Wilkes-Barre campus and those of other campuses in the region,” says Dr. Charles Davis, Penn State Wilkes-Barre chancellor. “This center will help students define and achieve their career goals. Today’s job market is not very forgiving of disadvantages, and with this center we hope our students will have every possible advantage.”
To ensure that students and alumni can receive the full benefit of a comprehensive Career Services Center, Penn State Wilkes-Barre has created three full-time positions dedicated to providing these crucial services: an on-campus career services coordinator, a regional job and internship development specialist, and a staff assistant.
The career services coordinator, Jill Laing, will serve the immediate career-related needs of students and alumni, including career counseling, mentor programs, resume-writing assistance, interview-preparation and job-searching.
The Eastern region job and internship developer, a to be filled position, will add the important proactive element that distinguishes a truly effective career services operation. Operating on behalf of all five campuses, the regional specialist will develop job and internship opportunities, establish and maintain strong working relationships with potential employers, participate in regional networking activities to develop resources and raise the profile of Penn State, attend professional association meetings in addition to company site visits across the region and assist in planning employer career days.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre provides a world-renowned university in a smaller, personal setting. Dedicated staff and teachers have helped students of all ages since the campus’ inception in 1916 and continue to provide excellent education and support. Penn State Wilkes-Barre boasts seven bachelor’s degrees and four associate’s degrees and the ability to start one of more than 160 degrees at Penn State Wilkes-Barre and continue at another campus.