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 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 are eligible!
With the number of computer networks doubling every five years, the job demand for Information Technology employees continues to shoot 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 even better 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 badly need employees who are certified in Security+, CISSP, Certified Security Analyst (CySA), and/or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
If you have management experience, one of the best 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 executive secretaries perform many administrative jobs and clerical tasks. Duties include providing help to managers and employees, assisting in daily business needs and being responsible for the company’s general administrative duties. The more qualified executive secretaries can make a surprisingly good salary if they have the necessary skills. Certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) 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. It provides free training grants to help workers get trained, certified and placed in high demand fields 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 fields in which there are too many people. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) addresses this issue by providing free funding for job training in high demand fields to those who are eligible for this grant. This training is designed 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 a career that is in high demand. For each approved career, there will be approved training plans to choose from.
The three most common 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 layoff notice 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 what you have earned the last six months 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 currently in school. You must also be found to be “suitable.” This is not an automatic approval. The process is convoluted so it is best to talk with us beforehand to see if you are eligible.
You want a program that can be finished in a short period of time that will raise your marketability enough to help get you placed. We look at the best ways to leverage your experience to add a certification that will make you attractive to employers 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 cost to you if you are eligible. 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 process is as clear as mud. Many schools are reluctant to work with WIOA if they can avoid it. I strongly recommend you consult with an expert.
Yes! The whole intent of this grant is to help you get back in the workforce. We have teamed up with a staffing firm that has dedicated a person to work at our facility exclusively with our clients. She assists with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, interview skills and most importantly, getting your resume in front of hiring managers. We work with over 3,000 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 available to the general public. Over half the jobs we have helped place people in are not even advertised.