Has anyone used WIA funding for school?

My local WIA says that you must become employed after completing training. I wonder what the consequences are if you don't become employed. In my case it would not be for lack of trying, but after more than a year and hundreds of potential employers ignoring my applications/resume (graphic art) I have little faith anymore. I guess I will find out when I go see them tomorrow.

Of course I am also worried, after reading more about it, that they will decide that I have already been trained enough, since I have a degree, and deny assistance. As my husband said in a previous post, graphic jobs pay next to nothing now (barely over min. wage) and they want you to know everything even for that cheap amount of pay. *sigh*

 

The WIA program forces training programs to be accountable for their students. If a truck driver training school cannot place but a small percentage of their students, then they are frowned upon by the WIA representatives. They look for 95+ pass rate as well as placement. If students cannot get through their programs, it shows a lack of efficient training...If a school fails to place a student, after they graduate, then they look at the school to see why they took that student in the first place.
The main goal of the WIA program is to help a participant to enter or re enter the work force with adequate training, so that they can make a competitive wage to help to support themselves and their families.
The Workforce Investment Board reviews quarterly reports on the providers that they do use. They can always find another provider that will comply.
This does help to minimize abuse by training programs.
I have seen too many times a driver begging for a job after graduation, that has a DUI that is 2 years old. the school should not have taken the student. But, they would, just for the money.
These training programs have to straighten up, or they will not be approved as a provider for training.

As far as having prior training, or a degree, yes, that would disqualify you. If the training in a field that is considered non employable, then they would re train you. An example of the would be, assembly line worker.

 

Kickin Chicken has a good understanding of WIA-funded services. I was involved in WIA oversight since it was established by the feds in 1998 and implemented on July 1, 2000. The federal WIA dollars flow through each state's workforce system and allocated to the local workforce areas. For example, California has 49 workforce areas and each one has a unique funding level and operating structure (some of the local workforce systems are part of county governments, some are consortiums operating under joint power agreements, some are non-profit organizations, etc.) WIA funds are in three primary categories - adult, dislocated worker and youth. Performance goals/outcomes such as entered employment and retention rates are required and tracked by the feds.

Over the period of several years WIA funds were reduced to California's local workforce areas by about 50% (many other states were hit hard too). WIA funding has been a rollercoaster affair since its inception. Areas must carefully use their available WIA funds to serve as many individuals in need as possible. This means that they must not only determine an individual's eligibility for a WIA program, but also their "suitability". "Suitability" may consider for example an individual's likeliness to benefit from available workforce services and likeliness of sticking with and successfully completing their training/education.

The Recovery Act signed into law on February 17, 2009 brought a considerable amount of new funds into the WIA system. The feds encouraged the states and local workforce areas to expend these funds quickly and wisely to get unemployed workers affected by the economic downturn back into the labor force. These new funds are limited and must be fully expended by established due dates. Federal funding for the WIA system is not expected to increase in the next fiscal year or two due to the growing federal deficit. The WIA funding rollercoaster ride continues.

This is just a glimpse of the complicated but worthwhile WIA workforce system.

 

Hello all. I was wondering if anyone here has had any success in obtaining funding from the WIA program for school? If so, how did you get approved, a lot of hoops to jump through?

My story, just so I can rant a little, feel free to skip.

/begin RANT

I checked into it yesterday and was told that since I have a skill (10+ yrs in IT) then I am not eligible. I told the counselor that I have been unemployed for 12 out of the last 18 months. I have had 3 interviews within the IT field during that time. She told me that at least I was getting interviews, yea, like I can pay my bills with those. Anyway, I told her that I am at the end of my rope and need some income. I have applied for every job that I think I am capable of doing and have had no response, none. Warehouse, auto parts stores, even janitorial work, everyone wants someone with at least 1 year of experience. There are enough unemployed people out there that the employers can wait a week or two and find someone that fits exactly what they are looking for instead of hiring a decent person that needs some training.

So she finally said that I could attend the orientation for WIA, but that my case would have to go before a review board. They would then decide what career path I would get training for if any. So while I have been steadily employed from 1988 until 2009 and paid my taxes like a good citizen, I am not eligible for a program I helped fund and desperately need.

I have looked at getting my CDL from a driver mill, but it's just too much of a risk. Get on the hook for $6,000 or more and then they decide they don't like the way I breathe, fire me and then I owe them money with no way of repaying it and no CDL. No thanks. Student loans are not an option since ALL of the community colleges or tech schools in this state use a third party (private trucking school), so I would need to get a personal loan.

/end RANT

 

So nobody has used the WIA program to pay for school?

 

I did, but I live in Ohio. I was able to get WIA because I was a displaced worker. I was laid-off from a refuse company and after 6 months of no job offers for class b job went to truck drivig school to up grade to class a. now running into problems finding a job because most places want 1 to 2 yr OTR exper,lol

 

I was told (july 2010) that WIA in Northern Illinois doesn't like CDL programs because there are so many unemployed truckers around. I told them freight has been up since April and they were impressed that I knew the market. They said they will consider it on a case-by-case basis. If you have a pre-hire letter from a company they will weigh that in the consideration.

 

So many CDL mills have milked the WIA program over the past few years. Many of the students that they accepted into the school could not be placed in a job and should have never been enrolled. Too many violations on their MVR's, recent DUI/DWI, drug abuse and certain felonies...

I would suggest that you get 3 pre hires and some market research on the industry as a whole to present to your case worker. The effort that you put forward in making trucking work for you shows that you will probably succeed.

Best to You!!!

 

i got into TN WIA program cuz i am on foodstamps. i am going to a state tech school so it's taking 12 weeks on weekends instead of 7 weeks on weekdays or one of those 3 week deals. it's been 10 weeks now and i'm pretty excited and nervous to be about done. all of my What Ifs are starting to kick in... call your workforce and development department . someone could probably help there...best of luck

 

does anyone know if you have to have a ged or hs diploma to get wia funding in tx

thanks in advance