Workforce Investment Act:

The Federal Workforce Investment Act [WIA] was implemented in 1998 replacing JTPA as a new program created for the delivery of adult, dislocated worker, and youth services. WIA programs started in Region IX in July, 2000. The Act enables customers to easily access the information and services they need through the "One-Stop" service delivery concept.

WIA continues to provide resources to help address the workforce development needs and priorities of the local region. The most important aspect of the Act is its focus on meeting the needs of business for skilled workers, and the training, education, and employment needs of individuals.

The Local Elected Officials and Regional Workforce Investment Board in Region IX have the responsibility for the programs funded by WIA and have selected Iow@Work (a department - program under Eastern Iowa Community College District) as the specific provider and coordinator of workforce development services in the Region IX area covering Scott, Clinton, Muscatine and Jackson counties for the Adult, Dislocated and Youth programs.

 
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Adult Program :

The Adult Program serves individuals 18 years of age and older.  You are welcome to visit a local office and receive any of the free core services listed below.  Adults must qualify under certain criteria to receive additional services such as Staff Assisted, Intensive and Training Services.  Please read through the following services available to help adults secure employment. Contact an Iow@Work office near you to apply for services or get additional information.

Self Services and Informational Core Services 

Self Services and Informational Core Services are available at no cost to you and include the following services: 

• Outreach and Intake to Services
• Eligibility determination for additional WIA Services
• Assessment of  your Skill Levels, Aptitudes, Abilities, and Interests 
• Job Search Assistance
• Access to Job Openings via Computer or Job Board
• Use of the Resource Computers to assist with Job Search and Career Development
• Assistance developing Resumes and Cover Letters 
• LMI Information such as Prevailing Wages, Demand Occupations and Job Outlook 
• Access to Job Clubs and Group Workshops covering Job Seeking and Job Keeping Skills 
• Eligibility determination for Financial Aid and instruction for on-line FAFSA application
• Information about Area Schools, Programs Offered and Area Apprenticeship Programs
• Use of resource computers for GED preparation and literacy skills
• Determination of your eligibility for and referral to other programs and services
• Access to a large library of books on Job Seeking and Job Keeping skills and career planning advice.

Staff Assisted Core Services 

Staff Assisted Core Services may be the next step to take If you have not secured employment using the Self Service and Information Core Services listed above.  You would need to meet eligibility guidelines and would be enrolled in our program at this time.  Services may include:

Staff Assisted Job Search,

Job Development Assistance 

Job Club

Career Counseling, Planning and Guidance

Pre-employment Training

Intensive Services

Intensive Services may be the next step necessary to obtain employment after completing the Staff Assisted Core Service.  Intensive Services could include:

• Comprehensive and Specialized Assessments
• Counseling Sessions to help you develop an Employment/Career Plan 
• Pre-employment Training
• Skill-upgrading
• Paid Work Experience
• Limited Internships 

Training Services 

Training Services may be necessary to obtain employment after completing Intensive Services.  Training Services may include the following:

• Training for a new career in a demand occupation
• On-the-job Training where you earn while you learn
• Workplace Training and Cooperative Education Programs
• Skill Upgrading and Retraining
• Job Readiness Training 
• Information and assistance with applying for Financial Aid 
• Adult Education and Literacy Activities in combination with training
• Entrepreneurial Training

Support Services

Support Services enable adults to participate in Intensive or Training activities.  Support Services can be offered either directly or through referrals and partnerships and can include the following:

• Clothing/Shoes
• Personal Counseling
• Dependent and Child Care
• Financial Assistance
• Miscellaneous Services
• Health Care
• Needs Related Payments
• Supported Employment and Training
• Transportation Assistance

 
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Brochures:

Adult Program Brochure - English

Adult Program Brochure - Spanish

All brochures are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to open and view them. Click on the Icon below for a free download.

 

 
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Dislocated Worker Program :

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This program serves individuals who have lost a job through a business closing, downsizing or lay-off and are unlikely to return to their previous industry or occupation. Displaced homemakers, persons considered long term unemployed, and those who were formerly self-employed and displaced from their business may also qualify under this program.

Dislocated workers are welcome to come into our center and receive any of the free Self Service and Informational Core Services listed below.  You must meet certain criteria and enroll in our program to receive any Staff Assisted, Intensive and Training Services listed.  Contact an Iow@Work Dislocated Worker Specialist in office near you for further information.

Self Services and Informational Core Services 

 

Self Services and Informational Core Services are available at no cost to you and include the following services:

• Outreach and Intake to Services
• Eligibility Determination for Additional WIA Services
• Assessment of  your Skill Levels, Aptitudes, Abilities, and Interests 
• Job Search and Placement Assistance
• Access to Job Openings via Computer or Job Board
• Use of the Resource Computers to Assist with Job Search and Career Development
• Assistance Developing Resumes and Cover Letters 
• LMI Information such as Prevailing Wages, Demand Occupations and Job Outlook 
• Access to Job Clubs and Group Workshops Covering Job Seeking and Job Keeping Skills 
• Eligibility Determination for Financial Aid and Instruction for on-line FASFA application
• Information about Area Schools Programs Offered and Area Apprenticeship Programs
• Use of resource computers for GED preparation and literacy skills
• Determination of your eligibility for and referral to other programs and services
• Access to a large library of books on job seeking and job keeping skills and career planning advice

Staff Assisted Core Services   

Staff Assisted Core Services may be the next step to take if you have not secured employment using the Self Service and Information Core Services listed above.  You would need to meet eligibility guidelines and would be enrolled in our program at this time.  Services may include:

• Job Search and Job Development assistance 
• Career Counseling and Guidance
• Pre-employment Training

Intensive Services

Intensive Services may be the next step necessary to obtain employment after completing the Staff Assisted Core Service.  Intensive Services could include:

• Comprehensive and specialized assessments
• Counseling sessions to help you develop an employment/career plan 
• Pre-employment Training
• Skill-upgrading
• Work experience
• Limited Internships 

Training Services 

Training Services may be the next step necessary to obtain employment after completing Intensive Services. Training Services may include the following:

• Training for a new career in a demand occupation
• On-the-job training where you earn while you learn
• Workplace training and cooperative education programs
• Skill upgrading and retraining
• Job readiness training 
• Information and assistance with applying for Financial Aid 
• Adult Education and Literacy Activities in combination with training
• Entrepreneurial training

Support Services

Support Services enables Dislocated Workers to participate in Intensive or Training activities.  Support Services can be offered either directly or through referrals and partnerships and can include the following:

• Clothing/Shoes
• Personal Counseling
• Dependent and Child Care
• Financial Assistance
• Miscellaneous Services
• Supported Employment and Training
• Transportation Assistance

   
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Brochures:

Brochures

Dislocated Worker Brochure - English

Dislocated Worker Brochure - Spanish   (Folleto Dislocado Del Trabajador)

All brochures are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to open and view them. Click on the Icon below for a free download. 

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Youth Program:

The Iowa@Work Youth Program helps to ensure that economically disadvantaged youth, 16-21 years of age, are given the opportunity to succeed in life.  We help them set and achieve long term goals by providing career exploration, by meeting their education needs and by offering them the opportunity to gain work skills in order to be competitive in the workforce of today. Services to youth encompasses in school youth, out of school youth, and youth with disabilities. 

Contact a youth counselor at an Iow@Work office in your county for more details.

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Activities and Services  

A full menu of activities and services are available for youth participants either directly or through referrals and partnerships and can include the following:

• Objective Assessment of skills, interests and needs
• Tutoring, study skills and instruction leading to post secondary completion
• Alternative High School Completion
• Incentive/bonus payments based on attendance and academic performance
• Paid Work Experience
• Limited Internship
• Job Shadowing
• Vocational Exploration
• Remedial and Basic Skill Training
• On-The-Job Training
•  Institutional Skill Training
•  Customized Training
•  Leadership Development
•  Skill Upgrading
•  Adult Mentoring
•  Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling
•  Secondary Education Certification
•  Summer Employment
•  Occupational Skills Training

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Supportive Services

Supportive Services are designed to enable participating youth to take part in our service and activities.  These Services may be offered directly or through referrals and partnerships.  They may include the following:

• Transportation
• Dependant and Child Care
• Counseling
• Clothing
• Miscellaneous Supportive Services
• Incentive Bonus Payments
• Financial Assistance
• Supported Employment and Training
• Stipends

 

Post Program Services

These services are designed to help participating youth improve their employment opportunities, develop and analyze their career plans and goals, and provide supportive services as needed for a 12 month period after becoming employed.  Services may include:

 

• Leadership Development
• Guidance and Counseling
• Assistance in Securing a Better Job
• Peer Support
• Adult Mentoring
• Tracking Employment Progress
• Post-Secondary Training
• Advanced Training

 
 
 

  

 
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Youth Publications:

Youth Service Directories: Youth Service Directories provide a list of various local community service organizations and agencies and the services they provide.  Directory information also includes the location, phone number, contact person, and population served in your local area.

Clinton County Youth Directory

Jackson County Youth Directory

Muscatine County Youth Directory

Scott County Youth Directory

Brochures

Youth Program Brochure - English

Youth Program Brochure - Spanish

All directories, brochures, and newsletters are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to open and view the them. Click on the Adobe Reader Icon below for a free download.

 

 
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Youth Resource Links:

Career Planning and Assessment Links

America's Career InfoNet - Provides information people need to make smart career choices and find the training they need to implement that choice. Check out Career Assessments under Occupational Information

O*Net Online  - Making occupational information interactive and accessible for all.

QuintCareers.com's section for teens  - This section of Quintessential Careers is all about teens!  You'll find stuff to help you get a job, get a summer job, find a career, find a college, apply for financial aid, discover a college major(s) and minor(s), and more. This is the college, career, and job resource for teenagers!

Career Interest Game - University game designed to help you match your interests and skills with similar careers. It can help you begin thinking about how your personality will fit in with specific work environments and careers. Come play along and see what happens!

Career Games -  CareerGames.com provides a unique training environment for job-hunters and job-hunting with games, assessments, and links to workshops.

Association for Career and Technical Education   is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. Click on the Career Center it is a one-stop source for students and parents to explore careers!

Careermag.com  provides industry specific career channels with a wealth of information tailored to your career goals. Select a career channel to research industry information, search jobs and build your portfolio.

Explore Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics - Discover careers based on things you like to do. 

School to Careers  is a career development project for 7-12th grade students, educators and parents. Through video, Web and interactive activities students are introduced to career professionals, projects and ideas that help them identify their interests and plan their futures.

Click On My Career.Com  - Use the career toolbox and check out the information about careers and companies in this the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas. 

Career Management International's Kingdomality - Take the Personal Preference Profile to discover your "medieval" vocational personality.

FirstGov for kids - Multiple links to sites that give you information about different careers.  Click on the homework page for links to sites with assistance about any school subject.

Job Search, Job Shadowing, Training Programs, Work Experience, and Internship Sites and Assistance

IowaJobs  - Job openings in Iowa plus local, state, federal job listings and location of Iowa job fairs.

Illinois Jobs Bank  - Job openings in Illinois.

Illinois Skill Match  - Quickly match your job requirements and skills to thousands of job openings in Illinois. It's easy to use and it's FREE

Get that gig.com - Why not do something Cool?   Try the Music Industry, Science and Space or Sports and Fitness!  Many more job and internship listings.  Featured company profiles, occupation profiles and articles about a typical day in the life of not so typical people.

CampStaff.com - FREE service lets you search through thousands of jobs at North America's best camps.

CoolWorks.Com - Cool Works. is about you finding a seasonal job or career in some of the greatest places on Earth. Get a summer job in Yellowstone, Yosemite, or another national park. Find a summer job as a camp counselor. Ski resorts, ranches, theme parks, tour companies and more are waiting for you.

Youth2Work  - U.S. Department Of Labor's site provides valuable information to, the working teen, on job areas frequently worked by teens as allowed under the law. This section summarizes labor laws, worker safety, and career options. Happy exploring!

Youth at Work is part of EEOC's Youth@Work initiative - a national education and outreach campaign to promote equal employment opportunity for America's next generation of workers.  Be an informed employee - Know your real world rights and responsibilities!

Job Corps  is a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 get a better job, make more money, and take control of their lives.

My future.com - Advise and information about finding a job, living on your own, internships and joining the military. Tools include a work interest quiz and how to create your resume.

Monstertrack  -  Search thousands of Full-Time, Part-Time and Internship Opportunities MonsterTRAK

StudentJobs.Gov  - provides information on Federal Government job opportunities. There is no charge for using Studentjobs.gov and users are not required to pre-register to look for a job.

Internships.Com  -  Search our extensive database of internships, read internship reviews or create your own real-intern profile, or research companies and careers on Wetfeet.com.  

College Bound Links

Iowa College Student Aid Commission - Official Guide to Financial Aid Directory of Iowa Colleges and Universities.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) U.S. Department of Education FREE Application for Federal Student Aid Web Site

Volunteer Links

Catch the Spirit!  - A student's guide to Community Service. How young people can make their communities better places to live

Quad City Youth Volunteers  - Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline and Rock Island locations for youth to volunteer!

Volunteer.gov  - Building America's Communities of Service

Life Planning Links

College.gov - College.gov was designed by students for students and features first-person accounts of students who overcame challenges to going to college such as peer pressure, lack of family support, and financial barriers. It provides relevant, comprehensive information about why to go, how to go, and how to pay for college or other post secondary education programs.

Youthhood.org - Here you can start thinking about what you want to do with the rest of your life. This Web site was built to help you plan for the future. What will you do after high school? Will you work? Go to college? Live in a place of your own? By using this Web site, you can plan for your future right now!

Students.Gov  - Our mission is to provide you with easy access to information and resources that will be most helpful during the transition to life beyond high school. Find the right college, apply for financial aid and scholarships, internships and jobs, learn about careers, find volunteer opportunities, get a passport and more!

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Promise JOBS Program:

PROMISE JOBS, supported by the Iowa Department of Human Services, promotes independence and self-sufficiency through Employment, Job Opportunities and Basic Skills. It is available to Iowa residents receiving the Family Investment Program (FIP) cash benefits. 

Those receiving the FIP grant are required to develop a plan that will lead them to self-sufficiency and independence from that Grant. 

The government put a limit of 60 months on lifetime benefits a family receives and Promise Jobs is committed to working with families to achieve self-sufficiency before this time limit runs out.  Employment is stressed because it will help bring more money into a household, create a positive role model for children and families, develop and strengthen an individual's work history and build their self-esteem.    

Activities

• Assessment - Access to computer programs and activities to help individuals make decisions and set goals about their future.

  Workplace Essentials - This is a workshop that provides the opportunity for attendees to develop skills necessary for success in the workplace such as effective communication, creativity, analytical thinking, flexibility, change-readiness, problem solving, leadership, team building, and listening skills.

  Classroom Training or Short-Term Training - Individuals can attend educational or vocational training beyond the high school/GED level and if eligible, receive assistance with transportation and child care while attending training.

  Work Experience - Individuals can work in a non-profit agency and gain updated experience, skills and reemployment references while they seek permanent employment.

  Unpaid Community Service - Individuals can work in a non-profit agency and gain some experience, but it mainly helps individuals acquire the soft skills needed to be successful at a job such as arranging for child care, transportation and arriving at work on time.

• GED/High School Completion Program - Individuals 19 years old or younger are mandated to attend High School.  If an individual is 20 years of age or older they have the opportunity to work on completing their GED within a 24 month period.

• Job Club - A workshop addressing issues such as completing job applications, developing a resume, proper work attire, and registering for work with Iowa Workforce Development.

  Individual Job Search - Individual's develop their job search strategies and learn how to search.

• Self-directed Job Search - Recent college graduates plan their own job search strategies.

   Other Services

• Access to the computer resource room and the Internet Assistance with developing or updating a resume Workshops to help with your job search
• Classes to help with your parenting skills

Family Self Sufficiency Grant - (Available to those who are successfully employed or have been offered employment.) *Please check with your Promise Jobs counselor for specific rules and regulations about the following. 

• Beginning transportation till you receive your first paycheck.
• Clothing needed for job interviews.
• Clothing or uniforms needed for the job. Tools required for the job. Simple care repairs and/or towing fees. Liability auto insurance.
• Professional licensing.

 

Brochures:

Promise Jobs Brochure - English

Promise Jobs Brochure - Spanish

All brochures are in PDF format. You will need  Adobe Reader to open and view the brochures. Click on the Adobe Reader Icon below for a free download.

 
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