Check with your state for your local One-Stop, as each center has different criteria and guidelines to qualify. The United States has 1,849 Comprehensive One-Stops and 1,189 Affiliate One-Stop Career Centers across the United States. The following information pertains to regulations and rules in Florida.
Find the phone number for your local One-Stop on the internet at http://servicelocator.org/. Simply enter a location to find your closest center. Place your call, and listen to the prompts and find out who the WIA Case Manager is. Ask them about the short-term training grant funding for retraining. The WIA Case Manager will be able to tell you if you qualify for the available funds.
If you qualify, then you will need to get all the required documentation together. Ask your local One-Stop what their targeted industries are, as these jobs are the ones that will qualify you for receiving the funds. They will direct you to their website. In Florida it starts with Accountants and Auditors and ends at Wholesale and Retail Buyers. In Florida these are some of the targeted jobs. There is a wide range of options. Your local workforce board may have specific jobs in mind for your area that they feel they have a shortage of qualified people for and they may direct you to those. Do not feel afraid to speak up if you have your heart set on something else, such as Web Design training.
Now that you know what you would like to train for, you need to find a training facility who offers the training that you seek. In Florida, our local workforce board has providers listed on the One-Stop website. You can search the ones listed and also search for all state-wide approved schools by County, Major Metropolitan Areas, Occupation, Local Workforce Boards or a State List. You can attend any school in your state and receive the funding. Do not let them tell you differently.
Contact a couple of schools and find out what their admission and eligibility requirements are. In Florida, you are required to apply for FAFSA. Our program does not pay for any pre-requisites or admission fees. You will need to ask in your state regarding this. You will need to take a TABE test, and be sure and tell the testing center that it is for the WIA program.
Gather your documentation together and schedule your appointment to get qualified. That's it!
Good luck!