Frequently Asked Questions

A: Congratulations on making the decision to re-enter the workforce! You will likely notice that things look different now than they did 10 years ago. The good news is that FCWS has much to offer in the way of support and resources to help you as you embark on your path to re-employment!

FCWS offers many free services which are available to all job seekers who are Frederick County residents or individuals recently laid off by a Frederick County business. Some of these services include access to skill assessments, job search workshops, resume reviews, practice interviews, computer classes for MS Word and Excel, LinkedIn and more. Many job seekers find that these career services provide them with everything they need to help them land the job.

In addition to the services listed above, one-on-one career services offer customized support for individuals who meet specific eligibility requirements under several grants including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). One-on-one career services offer eligible individuals' professional guidance and support from a career specialist and the opportunity to apply for training funds to support short-term occupational training.

A: Working with a career specialist is a way to establish a relationship to be able to work on clarifying your visions and goals towards employment, career changes, or being able to gain possible training to increase or enhance your skills and marketability.

Other benefits of establishing a partnership include communication skills, time management, strategic planning, increasing marketability skills, improving workplace efficiency and productivity, and dealing with specific conflicts within the workplace.

A: An IEP is a goal-oriented action plan that captures why you are interested in one-on-one career services; it outlines your short-term and long-term employment and/or training goals; it outlines the steps you are going to take to reach those goals, and it identifies any barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goals.

A: An Individual Service Strategy is a goal-oriented action plan to help youth participants reach their education and employment goals. The ISS is created in partnership with your career specialist and updated regularly with both short- and long-term goals. It outlines the steps you are going to take to reach those goals, and it identifies any barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goals.

A: The youth program is geared towards young adults ages 16-24 and provides some additional services specifically designed to help young adults address some of the common obstacles to employment faced in this age group like limited work history and limited education. Some of these services include job shadow opportunities, internships, and mentoring while youth work towards their education and employment goals. As a participant in the youth program, youth work with a Career Specialist with experience helping young adults reach their employment goals.

A: FCWS administers several grants that can financially support short-term occupational training for eligible individuals. Funding a complete 2-year or 4-year degree program is not within the scope of our available grant funding. What we can support, if you are eligible, is training to upgrade your skills through industry-recognized certifications and credentials as well as supplies like books, certification exam fees, or other required items to help you successfully complete training and secure employment. Training is subject to the availability of funds, and grant eligibility requirements and needs to support your employment goals and help to meet local labor market needs.

A: FCWS administers several grants which may offer funding to pursue occupational training. Requests for training funds are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must follow all grant requirements and regulations. In addition to federal financial aid, private grants and scholarships, grant funds may be available to eligible individuals looking to upgrade their skills through additional industry-recognized certifications and stackable credentials that align with your employment goals, local labor market needs and progression along your chosen career pathway.

A: You are not alone; over the last couple of years, many people faced new challenges in their personal and professional lives. Rapidly changing circumstances led to restrictions on in-person work, schooling, and access to childcare. Luckily, FCWS has many resources and can offer one-on-one support to help you navigate the process and develop the skills and know-how to succeed in your job search.

Our Career Specialists will help you create an action-oriented plan to help you identify your employment and training goals and take steps to sharpen your job search and resume skills. We can also provide interview tips and access to our Job Candidate Portal, which helps identify potential matches to local job openings. You are in the driver’s seat with your job search – think of us as your GPS.

A: Through grants, FCWS can support eligible Frederick County residents interested in pursuing short-term occupational training to prepare to work in our local high-growth, high-demand industries and industries heavily impacted by COVID-19. Our experienced Career Specialists can support you in exploring career options that complement your interests, abilities, and strengths.

For example, COVID-19 created a crisis in healthcare resulting in a high need for Certified Nursing Assistants, Medical Assistants, and other trained healthcare professionals. If you are interested in healthcare, this could be an opportunity to pursue training and enter this field while helping to meet this critical need in our community.

A: Concerns about discrimination or facing judgment from potential employers because of your substance use history are valid. FCWS, through the Resilient Frederick County (RFC) program, can prepare you for the possibility of self-disclosure to an employer and help you feel more confident in what information you choose to share.

Our career specialists can help you navigate the job search process and provide resources so you can be successful in reconnecting to work. The RFC program aims to help people in recovery overcome barriers to employment.

A: Stipends are one of several possible occupational and supportive services available to participants in the RFC program. These services are evaluated and approved on a case-by-case basis. One component of the program, the Recovery to Work (R2W) Academies were designed to address common challenges to help you balance returning to work and recovery.

Our career specialists can refer RFC program customers to participate in R2W Academies as a part of their goal-oriented action plan. The R2W Academies consist of topic-centered modules designed to address common challenges to help you balance returning to work and recovery. R2W Academies offer participants the opportunity to earn a stipend when they successfully complete the program.

*Funding for stipends is based on the availability of State and Federal grants for each module.