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Are you unemployed or under-employed? Have you been laid off or been notified there will be a lay-off? If so, you might be eligible for a WIOA-Pinellas 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!
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 32 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is much stronger than average. Cyberseek.org’s supply and demand heat map shows over 550,000 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 openings and the amount of certified workers is very low. The cyber-crime epidemic is expected to triple the number of job openings over the next five years. Employers badly need employees who are certified in Security+, CISSP, Certified Security Analyst (CySA), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and CompTIA PenTest+
If you have prior management experience, one of the best 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 certification for this field. CIO ranked this certification fourth for 2023. Other top certifications in this field include ITIL, Agile Master, and Scrum Master
Every year, more companies are realizing the benefits Business Analysts offer. Because of this, the Business Analyst job market is expected to grow at a rate of 19% over the next 10 years! With that amount of growth, businesses are already competing for every Business Analyst they can find and pay good salaries. One of the biggest changes to this career is the need for business intelligence skills, like Excel, and Power BI. Businesses now mostly depend on data analysis technologies like Big Data analysis for business growth. With the right certifications, business analysts will get the business intelligence techniques they need to succeed in their careers.
Responsible administrative assistants perform many administrative jobs and clerical tasks. Duties include providing help to managers and employees, assisting in every day business needs and being responsible for the company’s general administrative requirements. The more qualified administrative assistants can make a surprisingly good income 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 people 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 certified people and there are declining careers in which there are too many people. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) tries to fix this issue by providing free funding for job 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 a job and get back into the workforce. This is a grant, not a loan. If you qualify, everything is paid for, even the exam. The amounts vary by county but can be as high as $10,000 in some areas.
The WIOA-Pinellas grant is a jobs program so you must pick 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 plans to choose from.
The 3 most typical 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 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 family size, 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 found to be “suitable.” This is not an automatic approval. The process is convoluted so it is best to discuss this with us first to see if you qualify.
if you qualify for a WIOA-Pinellas grant, you need to select a plan that can be finished 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 work history to add a certification that will make you attractive to hiring managers and easier to get hired. Some career choices 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 qualify. Nothing to pay 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 confusing. Many schools are averse to work with WIOA if they can avoid doing so. I strongly recommend you consult with an expert.
Yes! The whole intent of this program is to help you get back in the workforce. We have partnered with a staffing company 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 information in front of hiring managers. We work with over 3,000 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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