Published: November 16, 2008 08:18 pm      

Hundreds of jobs to fill

WELCH — The long process of filling several hundred jobs at McDowell County’s new $224 million federal prison will soon be underway.

Cathi Litcher, an activation coordinator for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said many talents and skills will be needed at the new federal prison currently under construction at the Indian Ridge Industrial Park in Welch. The jobs to be filled include cooks, supervisors, medical doctors, dentists, nurses, recreational specialists, teachers, accountants, secretaries, facility management positions, warehouse supervisors, correctional officers and even automotive repair supervisors. In all, about 320 to 340 positions will be filled.

Litcher said construction on the federal prison is now about 72 percent complete. She said contractors are hoping to complete the project next year. The first job vacancy announcements will be posted on www.usajobs.gov by April.

Litcher said those hoping to learn more about the federal prison, and those who are interested in seeking future employment at the facility, are encouraged to attend the next meeting of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce scheduled for Wednesday at noon at the Herzbrun Room of the Welch Library. The free seminar is entitled “Job and Business Opportunities” at the federal correctional institution.

“The reason I’m coming to town is to share that information, as well as give the local community direction on what they can do now to be prepared once we open the (job) vacancies,” Litcher said. “We are looking at opening our registrations for correctional officers, medical doctors, registered nurses — those kind of positions — in April. All of our jobs are announced through usajobs.gov.”

Litcher said citizens who attend Wednesday’s meeting will be able to pick up informational DVDs and fact sheets explaining the federal prison hiring process. Litcher said the Federal Bureau of Prisons is partnering with Region1 Workforce West Virginia to assist with the training and hiring process.

“What we are trying to do as a team is workforce development for the community,” she said. “We’ve focused on some of the basic things we are doing. For example, we don’t take paper applications. You have to apply online.”

Litcher said all interested citizens are urged to attend Wednesday’s meeting at the Welch library.

“Because I can’t be there everyday, I need my stakeholders to become partners with us,” Litcher said. “The more people who can come and can get a fact sheet or recruitment update, the more information will come out, and the more accurate information will be out there. We are going to challenge everybody to go out there and share this information with at least one more person.”

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com