Are you unemployed or under-employed? Have you been laid off or received a notice of lay-off? If so, you might be eligible for a government grant that can really help you get trained, certified and placed in your new job. There is no cost to you. Let’s see if you are eligible!
With the amount of computer networks doubling every five years, the job demand for Information Technology employees continues to heat up for this high paid career. If you qualify you can use the WIOA grant to get the certifications the employers we work with are looking for|: CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Azure and more
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is much greater than average. Cyberseek.org’s supply and demand heat map shows over 5500,000 job openings across the United States. Some markets are stronger than others. The Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg job market pays well, because it has over 7,000 job opening and the supply of qualified workers is very low. The cyber-crime epidemic is expected to triple the number of open positions over the next five years. Employers desperately need employees who are certified in Security+, CISSP, Certified Security Analyst (CySA), and/or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
If you have prior management experience, one of the most high demand job opportunities is in project management. In the Tampa/St. Petersburg job market the need 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, Agile Master, and Scrum Master
Responsible administrative assistants perform several administrative jobs and clerical tasks. Duties include providing assistance to managers and employees, helping in every day business needs and managing the company’s general administrative requirements. The more qualified administrative assistants can make a surprisingly good salary if they have the necessary abilities. Certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) 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. WIOA provides free training grants to assist workers get trained, certified and placed in high demand careers such as information technology, cyber-security, business intelligence, project management and more. The idea is that there are careers in which there are not enough qualified workers and there are declining careers in which there are too many people. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) addresses this issue by providing free funding for career training in high 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 are eligible, everything is included, even the exam. The amounts vary by county but can be as high as $10,000 in some areas.
This is a jobs program so you must choose a program where there is a high likelihood of employment. 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 approved occupation, there will be approved training programs to choose from.
The three most prevalent categories 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 could be eligible 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 be eligible under Adult Low Income. For youths age 18-24, you might be eligible if you are not enrolled in school. You must also be determined to be “suitable.” This is not an entitlement. The process is complicated so it is best to talk with us beforehand to see if you are eligible.
You want a plan that can be finished in a short period of time that will boost your marketability enough to help get you a job. We look at the best ways to take advantage of your work history to add a certification that will make you attractive to recruiters and easier to get hired. 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 cost to you if you are eligible. Nothing to pay 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 process is confusing. A lot of schools are hesitant to work with WIOA if they can avoid it. I strongly advise you consult with an expert.
Yes! The whole intent of this program is to help you get back in the workforce. We have teamed up with a staffing firm that has devoted 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 information in front of hiring managers. We work with over three thousand employers in Central Florida who use us for their training needs. A lot 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.
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