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Are you unemployed or low-income? Have you been laid off or been notified there will be a lay-off? If so, you might qualify for a grant that can really help you get trained, certified and placed in your new career. There is no cost to you. Let’s see if you are eligible!
With the number of computer networks doubling every five years, the job demand for IT employees continues to soar for this high paid career. If you qualify you can use the grant to get the certifications the employers we work with are seekingasking for|: CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, VMware and more
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Security Analysts is projected to grow by 37 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is much better than average. Cyberseek.org’s supply and demand heat map shows over 700,000 job openings across the United States. Some markets are hotter than others. The Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg job market pays well, because it has over 10,000 job opening and the number of qualified workers is very small. The cyber-crime epidemic is expected to triple the number of job openings over the next five years. Employers desperately need employees who are certified in Security+, CISSP, Certified Security Analyst (CySA), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Cisco CCNA Security
If you have management experience, one of the strongest job opportunities is in project management. In the Tampa/St. Petersburg job market the demand is especially high for project managers and pays quite well. The Project Management Professional (PMP) is the most sought after credential for this field. Forbes magazine consistently ranks this certification in the top 5 each year. Other certifications in this field include ITIL, PMI-Agile, and Scrum Master
Responsible administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative jobs and clerical tasks. Duties include providing help to managers and employees, assisting in every day office needs and being responsible for the company’s general administrative requirements. The more skilled administrative assistants can make a surprisingly good income if they have the necessary requirements. Certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and QuickBooks can really help to move up in this profession.
Instead of having us talk about ourselves, why don’t we see what our clients have to say.
It is called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). it is a jobs program. WIOA provides no cost training grants to aid people get trained, certified and placed in big demand fields such as IT, cyber-security, business intelligence, project management and more. The idea is that there are careers in which there are not enough qualified people and there are declining fields in which there are too many people. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) addresses this problem by providing no cost funding for career training in big demand fields to those who qualify for this grant. This training is intended to make your resume marketable so you can get hired and get back into the workforce. This is a grant, not a loan. If you are eligible, everything is covered, even the exam. The amounts vary by county but can be as high as $10,000 depending where you live.
This is a jobs program so you must choose a program where there is a high likelihood of gainingemployment. Each county has a regionally targeted occupations list (RTOL) to choose from. They want to make sure you select an occupation that is in high demand. For each authorized career, there will be authorized training programs to choose from.
The 3 most prevalent classes are: Dislocated Worker, Adult Low Income and Youth (18 -25). If you were laid off (or your position was eliminated or you were let go because of a reduction in force) from your last job, terminated, received a notice of layoff or are a military spouse you might get approved as a Dislocated worker. If you are on Food Stamps or government assistance, or have low income based on what you have earned the last six months and family size, then you could get approved under Adult Low Income. For youths age 18-24, you might get approved if you are not currently in school. You must also be determined to be “suitable.” This is not an entitlement. The process is convoluted so it is best to consult with us first to see if you are eligible.
You need to select a plan that can be completed in a short period of time that will boost your marketability enough to help get you placed. We look at the best ways to leverage your work history to add a certification that will make you attractive to recruiters and easier to place. Some occupations are ideal for this: cyber-security, information technology, project management, business analyst, human resources, executive secretaries and administrative assistants etc.
There is no charge to you if you qualify. No reimbursement or any out of pocket expenses. This is a grant, not a loan. Even the exam(s) are paid for. So what is the catch? We will be working with a remarkably bureaucratic government agency. The steps are confusing. Many schools are averse to work with WIOA if they can avoid it. I strongly recommend you work with an expert.
Yes! The whole intent of this grant is to help you get back in the workforce. We have partnered with a staffing firm that has dedicated a person to work at our location exclusively with our clients. She assists with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, interview preparation and most importantly, getting your resume in front of hiring managers. We work with over three thousand employers in Central Florida who use us for their training needs. Many of them recruit from us so we get many job leads that are not accessible to the general public. Over half the jobs we have helped place people in are not even advertised.
Career Coach
I have over 20+ experience in higher education. I, too, was laid off from my position several years ago and struggled to get employed again because of ageism. Finally, I got hired again, but this time on the business side. Then I learned about the WIOA grant and understood what an opportunity this could be for people who lost their jobs or people with a low income. Most people do not like working with it becase of all the bureaucratic paperwork. The rules vary from one county to the next and are frequently changing. However, I have always been good at dealing with red tape. My experience working in colleges gives me an in depth knowledge of the many career choices and what it takes to get hired. I now specialize in assisting veterans, out of work (and low income) people who may qualify for a government grant that will pay for them to get trained, certified and help them get placed in their field and achieve their goals. Let’s see what you are eligible for!