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Are you unemployed or low-income? Have you been laid off or received a notice of lay-off? If so, you might qualify for a government grant that can really help you get trained, certified and placed in your new job. There is no out-of-pocket for you. Let’s see if you qualify!
With the number of computer networks doubling every 5 years, the job demand for Information Technology workers continues to heat up for this high paid career. If you qualify you can use the grant to get the certifications the employers we work with are looking 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 stronger 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 amount of certified workers is very low. The cyber-crime epidemic is expected to triple the number of open positions over the next 5 years. Employers desperately need workers 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 most high demand job opportunities is in project management. In the Tampa/St. Petersburg job market the demand is especially strong for project managers and pays quite well. The Project Management Professional (PMP) is the most sought after certification 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 executive secretaries perform a variety of administrative jobs and clerical tasks. Duties include providing help to managers and employees, assisting in every day business needs and managing the company’s general administrative requirements. The more qualified executive secretaries 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 career.
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. It provides free training grants to aid workers get trained, certified and placed in big demand careers such as information technology, cyber-security, business intelligence, project management and more. The idea is that there are professions in which there are not enough certified workers and there are declining careers in which there are too many people. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) addresses this problem by providing free funding for job training in big demand fields to those who are eligible for this grant. This training is intended to make your skills marketable so you can get hired and get back into the workforce. This is a grant, not a loan. If you qualify, everything is included, 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 select something where there is a high expectation of employment. Each county has a regionally targeted occupations list (RTOL) to choose from. They want to make sure you select a career that is in high demand. For each authorized career, there will be authorized training plans to choose from.
The three most typical classes are: Dislocated Worker, Adult Low Income and Youth (18 -25). If you have been 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 layoff notice or are a military spouse you could get approved as a Dislocated worker. If you are on Food Stamps or government assistance, or have low income based on last 6 month’s earnings and number of people in your family, 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 found to be “suitable.” This is not an automatic approval. The process is perplexing so it is best to speak with us first to see if you qualify.
You want 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 use your experience to add a certification that will make you attractive to employers and easier to place. Some career choices are perfect 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 are eligible. No reimbursement or any personal 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 very bureaucratic government agency. The steps are overly complicated. A number of schools are reluctant to work with WIOA if they can avoid it. I highly recommend you consult with an expert.
Yes! The whole purpose of this grant is to help you get a job. We have teamed up with a staffing firm that has devoted a person to work at our location exclusively with our clients. She helps with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, interview techniques and most importantly, getting your information in front of hiring managers. We work with over 3,000 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 available to the general public. Over half the jobs we have helped place people in are not even advertised.
WIOA Specialist
I have over 20 years’ experience in higher education. I, too, was laid off from my position several years ago and had difficulty getting employed again because of my age. Luckily, I was able to get back into the workforce, but this time on the corporate side. Then I discovered the WIOA grant and understood what a boon this could be for the unemployed or people with a low income. Most people do not like working with it becase of all the red tape. The processes 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 understanding of the many career choices and what it takes to get hired. I now specialize in assisting veterans, out of work (and low income) workers who may qualify for a government grant that will pay for them to get trained, certified and help them get placed in their career and achieve their goals. Let’s see what you qualify for!