Upskill SB The 2022 Upskill SB cohort is no longer accepting applications. If you are interested in applying next year: fill out this interest form at bit.ly/upskillinterest, and you will be contacted when applications are open again. Career and Training 2023 Interest Form CHOOSE YOUR PATH! In South Bend, there is a need for qualified and credentialed workers. Whether you have recently graduated from high school or college, are looking to change jobs, or need a leg-up in your field, Upskill SB can provide a pathway to achieve a professional certification at minimal or no cost to you. Upskill SB offers professional, industry-standard certifications in a variety of information technology, business and management, and healthcare, along with a customized training plan to help you prepare to take the next step in your career. UPSKILL SB HomepageTraining OptionsInformation ReleaseUpskill SB Email OTHER RESOURCES WorkOneNextLevel Jobs INTechnology Resource CenterSouth Bend Code SchoolBendable PROGRAM STEPS APPLY Fill out the application listed on the website SCREENING A short phone interview to help assess your educational/professional background and career interest CHOOSE If you are accepted, you may send us the certification you want to earn and select a training course with our help TRAIN Depending on the difficulty and your prior knowledge, you will go through between a week or months-long training or review course CERTIFIED! Upskill SB will reimburse your exam and some of your training costs. Take the exam, and get certified if you passUpskill SB will reimburse your exam and some of your training costs. Take the exam and get certified in a new field! 2022 Cohort Meeting Information If you have been selected as a member of the 2022 Upskill SB Cohort, here is times and location on cohort meeting Tuesday, July 5 at 6 pm, TBAWednesday, July 13 at 12 pm, Tech Resource CenterWednesday, July 27 at 12 pm, Tech Resource CenterTuesday, August 23 at 6 pm, TBAWednesday, September 21 at 12 pm, Tech Resource Center Credential Reimbursement Upskill SB is offering training at minimal cost and certification exams at no cost to program participants. Upskill SB will reimburse: 100% of certification exam costs (up to $600)50% of any training, preparation, or resource costs (up to $1,000) If you are in need of additional financial assistance to reimburse some of all of the remaining training costs, please indicate on your application or reach out to upskillsb@southbendin.gov. Eligibility Program participants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be considered for the program:Current South Bend residentHold a high school diploma/GED or equivalentCurrently employed or actively seeking employmentMeet minimum qualifications of the desired certificationAdditional application criteria may be considered to ensure participants are set up for success in the Upskill SB program. These qualifications may include:Motivations of seeking certificationQualifications and experience relevant to desired certification (in addition to minimum qualifications met)Pursuing in-demand certifications FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) Application Process What if I am in the process of completing a certification? We cannot reimburse any training that has been done or if you purchased an exam prior to joining the program. We would encourage you to find another certification or credential to choose from. When will the application close, and when will I hear back? The application will close once we have 15 qualified applicants or on June 3, 2022 at the latest. You will hear back from us at most five business days after submitting your application, or we will send you a message if the application has closed by then. What if I am unsure about which certification I want to take? The phone screening process can help narrow down your choices, and you may request the advice of a career counsellor if you have not made a decision on what certification to take. Can I get two or more certifications reimbursed? Yes, Upskill SB can support more than one certifications so long as they are completed within four months. If the certifications requires two or more exams in order to pass, Upskill SB can reimburse up to $600 in exam fees in total. Can I renew my certification through Upskill SB? We would encourage candidates to seek certifications of which they have not yet earned. Renewing a certification does not disqualify a candidate, but we would consider additional applications. Credentials and Training What is the difference between certificate, certification, and other types of credentials? Certificate: A result of an educational process for newcomers and experienced professionals that is set through an academic process. Certification: An industry-standard process for workers with at least some experience to indicate mastery. Some certifications do not require or have courses. License: A government-run process in order to practice a profession. Badge: An educational process for newcomers usually after completing a single module for a certificate. The timeframe for completing a badge is much shorter compared to the other credentials. Badges are a type of microcredential. All these types of credentials are very useful for resume-building. Sometimes, credentials can be taken simultaneously, e.g. someone can go through training and earn a certificate, and, later, earn a certification by taking an exam based on the training. What are the different levels of certifications? Each certification is on a hierarchy based on previous skill usually comprising of three/four tiers: Foundational: No prior experience within this area. It is useful for employees looking to pivot or to have knowledge in an adjacent field. Associate: Some experience within this area (6-12 months) and for someone who needs to commit to this kind of career. Professional: Once someone earns an associate certification, this is a gold standard for practitioners in the career area. They usually have a handful of years of experience. Certified professionals undergo annual renewal. Expert: High-level certification given to experts with many years of industry experience requiring hundreds of contact hours. Why should I obtain a certification? Certifications are issued by accredited prominent industry organizations or by professional certifications that will be accepted by most employers in a given field. Most employers like to a hire a certified worker over a non-certified worker because they know a certified worker has proof of the requisite knowledge in a knowledge field. For example, a PMP can make $20,000 more than a non-PMP holding Project Manager on average (Project Management Institute). What if I need access to computer or software? You will have the option of letting us know your technical needs on the application form under the Program Resources section. If you are taking a certification exam or working through a certificate course, a working computer with a mic and webcam is necessary, and resources Upskill SB can provide. If you are taking a technical course with software or hardware needs, double check with the certification’s website, and we can reimburse software needs e.g. AWS cloud subscription. Upskill SB can provide study and exam-taking space in the Technology Resource Center. There are a lot of training options. Which one should I take? Here is an article about how to train for a certification in general. If you are earning a certificate, there should already be a self-learning, virtual or in-person class that you will be required tot take in order to earn that credential. You can typically pick and choose study/training resources for certifications: Instructor-led training: A structured classroom setting in a remote setting or at a classroom. Upskill SB will not provide classes, but will find an in-person or remote setting that works best for you. There are many types of instructor-led training such as a college classroom, guided online learning, or training centers ranging from a few hours of practice per week to 3 to 5 days of intensive practice. Self-study training: Not everyone needs live training. You may prefer going at your own pace or is self-motivated. Sometimes this fits well if you have busy schedules. eLearning: an online self-paced course Exam Prep: Right before an exam, take a practice exam to identify strengths and weaknesses to better prepare for the real exam. Books: There are certified books or ebooks you can learn from! CompTIA also has a quiz to assess what type of learner you are! How can I fit certification study and training into my schedule? Assess how many hours a week you can dedicate to studying/ training for cert exams. Multiply that number by 16, and you will get how many total hours you will spend total on studying/training. Each certification will have the estimated number of hours of completing the course, which you can compare with your total hours. Make sure you are able to clear your schedule on certain evenings or weekends for instruction if you are doing instructor-led training, and that you can complete it within four months. Sometimes you will need to accommodate a few hours between courses for homework or lab work in addition to commute times if you are going to an in-person site. If you are unable to train during evenings or weekends at a consistent time, self-study resources such as self-paced online courses can a more flexible option. Studying for a certification or any other credential while employed is no easy task. In the end, passing that exam will lead to better career opportunities or raises at work. Does Upskill SB cover gradute study costs? No, Upskill SB covers expenses for certifications, related training, and micro-credentials for workers who are residents of South Bend. This program does not cover graduate study expenses. Program Logistics How will I be reimbursed? If the certification or credentialing program has the ability to issue vouchers, Upskill SB will purchase vouchers and send you the code to take the exam or access training material. If that option does not exist, we will reimburse your expense. If there might be difficulties with initially paying for any certification or credential costs, please indicate on that under the financial aid question on the application form or email upskillsb@southbendin.gov, and we will find a financial arrangement that best fits your situation. What if certification exam and training costs are combined? If there is no exam cost explicitly laid out, Upskill SB will reimburse the first $600 and 50% of the remaining cost. When will I have to complete a certification? Once you have been accepted to the program assuming you have a certification choice and training option lined up, you will have four months to complete training and another month to take an exam and additional exams/retakes if necessary. How is this program being funded? This program is funded by a $200,000 American Rescue Plan (ARP) grant given towards workforce development. Employers How can local employers get involved? There are a few ways local employers can help out! If you have employees that are seeking skill training, Upskill SB can step in to help cover costs. If you would like to suggest adding a certain certification or program onto our recommended list or are interested in assisting candidates, please email upskillsb@southbendin.gov.