Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
a. 1. Describe How the State Will Utilize Professional Development Activities for Employment Service Staff to Ensure Staff is Able to Provide High Quality Services to Both Jobseekers and Employers.
Current Narrative:
Florida has designed a comprehensive certificate exam to equip all Employment Service staff with the appropriate knowledge to be able to provide high quality services to job seekers and employers. Within six months of hire, all front–line staff, or staff who provide direct services to job seekers or employers, are required to complete a series of standardized training modules that provide foundational information
about the workforce system. The Tier I Certificate is a thorough online training program that covers topics to include the history of the workforce, workforce program overview, and customer service and other job placement techniques. Upon completion of the online training modules, staff are required to complete
a comprehensive exam to demonstrate comprehension of the material. Staff must successfully pass the exam to be considered Tier I certified and proficient to assist job seekers and employers.
In addition to a passing score on the Tier I Certificate Exam, staff are required, annually, to seek out new training opportunities to enhance their knowledge and remain up–to–date on new workforce tools and strategies. To assist with the attainment of continuing education units, Florida has also designed a Tier
II Certificate program. Tier II content assists staff with learning more in–depth information of the specific workforce programs to include WIOA, Wagner–Peyser (WP), TAA, SNAP, and Welfare Transition (WT). In addition to providing in–depth programmatic information to staff, the Tier II Certificate program also affords a cost effective means to provide cross training opportunities for all staff in one convenient location that can be immediately accessed.
Florida also hosts periodic on–site and web–based training opportunities to share information and keep staff abreast of new trends. In collaboration with other agencies, Florida capitalizes on opportunities to bring the knowledge base of staff full circle by linking duties and responsibilities of the career center staff with those of other departments.