Hillsborough County Unemployment Grants with career placement assistance for Keystone

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 career. There is no cost to you. Let’s see if you qualify!

Here are some of the Preferred Certifications that can jump-start your career:

Hot Jobs in Hillsborough County

With the number of computer networks doubling every 5 years, the job demand for IT workers continues to soar for this high paid career. If you qualify you can use the WIOA grant to get the certifications the employers we work with are seekingasking 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 stronger 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 job openings over the next 5 years. Employers desperately need workers 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 hottest 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, Agile Master, and Scrum Master

Responsible executive secretaries perform many 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 duties. The more qualified executive secretaries can make a surprisingly good income if they have the necessary requirements. Certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) can really help to move up in this career.

What Our Clients Say

Instead of having us talk about ourselves, why don’t we see what our clients have to say.

My Career coach was very instrumental in helping me determine my educational path. I gave him my list of career and training objectives. He charted my options and identified advantages for each course available. He also explained career potential for each class. His guidance contributed to my finding my new job. (Thank you! Thank you!)
WIOA Grant testimonial for Cyber Security Career
Ronni Jones
IT Security and Compliance Analyst
He was very communicative and took the time to sit with me and outline my goals and how the training material will carve out my career path…The instructors were top notch and worked effortlessly to ensure that all students were up to speed on the material. It was noticeable that the instructors fully understood the material and were prepared for any and all questions that came their way.
Kyle Metzger
Kyle Metzger
Project Manager
He was extremely helpful in guiding me into an appropriate choice of program to match my interests and current job demands of our area…I would highly recommend them. I found it to have a really great atmosphere. Very friendly and always helpful staff.
Lisa Baresi Smith small
Lisa Baresi-Smith
PC Technician
I met him at a job fair. He told me about the PMP program and grants available in the area. I have thought about attaining my PMP in the past with professional and volunteer projects. He was a great coach. He knew what skills were needed int he market and best classes to take. He even let me know the best instructors to insure my success. The PMP training is one of the best training that I received. I would recommend them for the WIOA program for job seekers. He knows the WIOA program and what classes qualify.
Jennifer Smith small
Jennifer Smith
Strategic Account Manager
The admission representative was very courteous, helpful, and professional. He provided all the necessary information for me to meet my goal. I would definitely recommend them. The way I was treated by staff along with the way the course was presented left me extremely satisfied
karl's testimonial for WIOA grants, unemployment grants
Karl Joseph
Network Engineer II
They provided all the resources I needed to pass the certification exams on my first try. (They) provided more help than anyone in finding a job--not only have they prepared me for the job but they have helped me get the "at bats" with interviews that are equally necessary for landing a job.
James Falzone small
James Falzone
Help Desk

Frequently Asked Questions

Most frequent questions and answers

What is WIOA?

It is called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). it is a jobs program. WIOA provides free training grants to help people get trained, certified and placed in high demand fields such as information technology, cyber-security, business analysis, project management and more. The idea is that there are professions 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 free funding for career training in high demand fields to those who qualify for this grant. This training is designed 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.

 

Can I use this grant for any program I want?

This is a jobs program so you must pick something where there is a high expectation 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 occupation, there will be authorized  training plans to choose from.

How do I qualify?

The 3 most prevalent categories 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 notice of layoff or are a military spouse you could qualify 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 qualify under Adult Low Income. For youths age 18-24, you might qualify if you are not enrolled in school. You must also be found to be “suitable.” This is not an entitlement. The process is arduous so it is best to discuss this with us first to see if you qualify.

What types of career choices are best under this program?

You need to select a program 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 hiring managers and easier to get hired. Some career choices are perfect for this: cyber-security, information technology, project management, business analyst, human resources, executive secretaries and administrative assistants etc.

Is there a catch or any hidden costs? I always have a hard time believing anything is free.

There is no charge to you if you qualify. 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 an extremely bureaucratic government agency. The process is confusing. A lot of schools are averse to work with WIOA if they can avoid doing so. I strongly advise you consult with an expert.

Do you help with job placement?

Yes! The whole purpose of this program is to help you get back in the workforce. We have teamed up with a staffing company that has devoted a person to work at our facility exclusively with our clients. She helps 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 requirements. 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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5402 W. Laurel Street, Bldg 1A, Suite 106
Tampa, FL 33607

(813) 387-3503