Develop new skills through WIA funded training programs
Being unemployed can be a great opportunity to get some new skills under your belt. When you are in the workforce, getting your employer to pay for additional training can be tough. Maybe you wanted your PMP certification but your employer wouldn’t sponsor you. Now you are out of work. You may have thought to yourself, I would love to re-train and develop skills in a more relevant industry but I don’t have the money. Well now is exactly the time to do something about it - and you may be able to apply for a WIA grant to pay for your training.
What is WIA? WIA stands for the Workforce Investment Act. Here is the “book definition”:
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) reformed federal employment, training, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs by creating an integrated "one-stop" system of workforce investment and education services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth.
WIA is designed to give job seekers the support and/or skills training they need to find a job. This is provided at no-cost to the job-seeker. Specifically, WIA can provide:
- Job search assistance
- Child care assistance while in training
- Transportation assistance
- Interview clothing and uniforms
- Tools needed for your new job
- Funding for basic skills and occupational training
(I took this info directly from the Texas Workforce Solutions website.)
The WIA program is frequently talked about at the local job club I have been attending. Basically, you apply for grant money to increase your marketability in a hot industry. If you qualify, the government will provide you the funds to pay for training. It seems to be administered state-by-state so take a look at your state’s procedures and policies.
You can seek training in many different fields. And the idea is to get training in a “hot” industry like clean energy, biotech, health care, etc.. The government doesn’t want to use resources to train you in an industry that may be obsolete in the next year.
There are other WIA benefits too. For example, if you are currently taking WIA funded classes and are still unemployed you may be entitled to gas credits for attending class to cover transportation. You will most likely be assigned an advisor and they can fill you in on details like this.
So look I suggest looking more into these options. Again, this program varies by state so get to your states labor/employment/unemployment site and see what they have to say. (Here is a listing of state-by-state offices: http://www.unemploymentoffice.net)
