Select International announced this week it has hired six people for various jobs, including HR jobs in Pennsylvania.

The new hires cover key positions within the Technology, Marketing, Accounting and Consulting departments.

According to its website, Steven Jarrett will join Select International as a Consultant. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jarrett has several years experience in assessment development, with a strong focus on assessment and training implementation.

Also joining Select International’s consulting team is Jason Frizzell, who serves as a Consulting Associate. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Frizzell earned his Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Beth Dougherty also adds her expertise as a Consulting Associate. Dougherty joins Select International with two years experience as a Training and Development Coordinator. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In this role, both Dougherty and Frizzell will provide support in the development and implementation of assessment solutions for Select International clients.

Select International develops employee hiring assessments and hiring systems.

The company’s employee selection and development solutions include pre employment assessments, executive assessment, online interview training, manufacturing assessment tests, healthcare hiring assessments, customer service assessment tests, and tools to help organizations hire safe workers.

According to a new survey from Manpower, jobs in Maryland are experiencing significant growth, especially in the Baltimore area.

Recently ManpowerGroup surveyed more than 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas to find out who’s hiring, who’s firing and who plans to maintain their current staff levels in the fourth quarter of 2011, October through December.

In Baltimore-Townson, twenty percent of that metro area’s hiring managers anticipate a bright fourth quarter.

Seven percent expect to terminate workers, 71 percent anticipate no change and 2 percent are uncertain. (more…)

A new bill has just been introduced that would make the federal hiring process more efficient and improve jobs in Maryland.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) joined Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Maryland) in introducing the Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act of 2011. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) was also an original co-sponsor. This legislation would streamline the Federal hiring process to conform to private sector best practices.

The bill should also improve jobs in Boston as well.

In the coming decade, close to 50 percent of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire, making the development of the next generation of federal workers even more vital. Some federal agencies still take as long as 200 days from the date of a vacancy to hire — delays that compromise federal recruitment, jeopardize government operations, and waste taxpayer dollars. The federal government needs to adapt, just as the private sector has, in order to recruit the next generation of federal workers.

“This legislation is a common sense approach that will streamline and improve the hiring process for federal jobs so we can ensure that the most qualified, talented people are hired,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Budget and Finance committees. “Recruitment is the backbone of every well-run organization, and it’s time that the federal government modernize and upgrade its recruitment process to make it more efficient and effective.” (more…)

Hyrell Partners, a web-based hiring solution, announced this week the launch of a distribution and content partnership with Criteria Corp, a move that will improve onboarding for Pennsylvania jobs.

Criteria Corp is a provider of pre-employment testing services.

The move is expected to not only affect Pennsylvania jobs, but also jobs nationwide, including Atlanta jobs.
(more…)

Town Sports International said this week it is recruiting hundreds for fitness jobs in Washington, D.C.

The company is looking to fill more than 1,000 jobs in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

TSI is looking for new employees that have a passion for fitness and serving others. The company is currently hiring personal trainers, club managers, membership consultants, laundry and cleaning associates, facilities technicians and specialized instructors for tennis, swimming and squash.
(more…)

While many metro areas got bad news on the job market front last Friday, Washington, D.C. jobs actually increased. In fact, it was one of the few metro areas that saw its unemployment rate decrease.

In the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or
more, the highest unemployment rates in April were registered in Riverside-San
Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 13.4 percent, Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., 12.1
percent, and Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif., 12.0 percent. Eight
additional large areas posted rates of 10.0 percent or more. The lowest jobless
rate among the large areas was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.5 percent,
followed by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., 5.4 percent.
Forty-three of the large areas reported over-the-year unemployment rate
decreases, while three areas registered rate increases and three had no rate
change. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., experienced
the largest unemployment rate decreases from April 2010 among the large areas
(-3.0 and -2.9 percentage points, respectively). Two other large areas reported
rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points. The three large areas with
over-the-year jobless rate increases were New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.
(+0.7 percentage point), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla. (+0.3 point),
and Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark. (+0.2 point).
(more…)

The Boston Paralyzed Veterans of America Vocational Rehabilitation Office announced this week it is making a big push to help paralyzed veterans find jobs in Boston.

With the national unemployment rate for veterans with severe disabilities at 85 percent, a unique Boston program aims to drastically cut unemployment for veterans with disabilities—helping those who wore the uniform and were seriously injured secure good jobs and careers.

Officially opening today, May 18, the Boston Paralyzed Veterans of America Vocational Rehabilitation Office will empower veterans with disabilities by providing the services they need to reintegrate into the job market—while matching them with businesses and organizations with career positions. The new office, part of an emerging network, is based at VA Boston Healthcare System, Room AG 60, West Roxbury Division, 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132.

It was established through an innovative public-private partnership between Paralyzed Veterans of America, Activision’s Call of Duty Endowment, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Hiring more veterans with disabilities is a win-win for our country. Those who served secure good careers; employers get great employees; and, in turn, our economy becomes stronger,” said Bill Lawson, national president of Paralyzed Veterans of America, who officially opened the new office. “It’s a strategy that helps empower America’s best with everything they need to live full, self-sufficient and productive lives. It’s a strategy that’s good for business and great for our nation.”

Joining Lawson was Elias Rojas, a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran with disabilities from the Boston area. Through the program Rojas secured a good job with the U.S. Department of Justice in Boston.

“Paralyzed Veterans worked with me, each step of the way—from figuring out what I wanted to do to matching me with an employer. Today I’m back at work. I love my job and enjoy continuing to serve our nation. I couldn’t have done it without Paralyzed Veterans of America,” Rojas said.

Former VA Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield and board member of Activision’s Call of Duty Endowment spoke of the importance of tackling unemployment in a tough economy and empowering more veterans.

“The national unemployment rate of veterans with severe disabilities stands at 85 percent. We must take on this terrible statistic and in doing so, access the untapped potential and talent of our veterans,” Mansfield said. “Today we challenge our nation’s job sectors—private and public—to step up and hire more veterans with disabilities.”

Corrine D. Smith, acting chief medical officer for VA New England Healthcare System continued this theme in her remarks. “This private-public sector initiative helps to strengthen and build-on existing work by focusing on Veterans with severe disabilities,” said Smith. “VA provides excellent healthcare and rehab services to its Veteran population, and is working hard with partners like PVA to address challenges such as unemployment and under-employment.”

With vocational rehabilitation offices in Richmond, VA; Minneapolis, MN; San Antonio, TX; Long Beach, CA; Augusta, GA; and now Boston, Paralyzed Veterans has helped hundreds of veterans find jobs in Virginia and is currently working with more than 200 major corporations in this nationwide effort.

A long-standing company has been sold, a move that may cause in the loss of Pennsylvania jobs.

After a very successful 45 years, Leo Kane has sold the company he founded in 1966, the Credit Management Company. The company is one of Pennsylvania’s largest and most successful accounts receivables management companies, with clients throughout North America. Its major client base includes hospitals and medical facilities in Western Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia area and Virginia. Other clients include credit unions, governments and education.
(more…)

Fisher Investments has announced it is recruiting for Washington jobs.

Fisher Investments plans to continue hiring in its Vancouver, Washington office throughout the spring and summer months of 2011. Of the firm’s 1000+ employees, approximately 350 are based in its Vancouver offices, with most of the remaining staff working from the offices and current headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Our goal is to take new employees and give them the experiences and resources to build a depth and breadth of different skill sets, allowing for true lifelong careers at our firm.” (more…)

Virtual Assistants has announced a new event for Maryland jobs and virtual assistants all around the world.

Five months from now, Virtual Assistants (VAs) from countries all over the world will celebrate the 1st annual International Virtual Assistants Week, and 6th annual Online International Virtual Assistants Convention. These globally-based, internet-savvy entrepreneurs have joined forces to increase on and offline awareness about the industry and showcase the benefits of partnering with a professional virtual assistant. This campaign is spearheaded by The Alliance for Virtual Businesses (A4VB), a leading VA member organization whose mission is to boost awareness of the industry, providing industry resources, training, and networking opportunities, and other internationally-based virtual assistant organizations.

VAs provide remote administrative, technical and creative business support services and work with solopreneurs and small businesses via use of today’s smart technologies. They tend to be experienced office managers or executive assistants who enjoy juggling multiple tasks and working with a wide variety of clients.

“Too many business owners are still unaware of or haven’t embraced the concept of hiring professional, experienced virtual office support providers. This campaign will showcase the advantages of hiring VAs, such as reducing expenses, smart use of technology, and pay-for-services on an as-needed or retainer basis,” says Sharon Williams, owner of The 24 Hour Secretary, a virtual assistant business that recently celebrated 20 years in business and founder of A4VB and OIVAC.

During IVA Week, VAs will host a local VA meet and greet or networking event on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and then join in the Online International Virtual Assistant Convention Thursday through Saturday. The Alliance will support the activity by providing media assistance, meet-up coordination, seminars, social media campaigns and other programs geared to raise awareness and increase participation. The OIVAC rounds out the week and serves as the crowning point for the celebration.

“This comprehensive undertaking serves many purposes,” says Williams: provide the missing touch and feel that occurs during face-to-face networking; educate business owners in local communities about Virtual Assistants; increase awareness and promote individual VA businesses. IVA Week will catapult the industry into the next millennium and serve as a model for connecting the virtual assistant industry and the small business sector.