"Back To School.……Any Time, Any Where!"

Customized curriculum for workforce development professionals, guidance counselors, and educators

Since October 1998, Workforce Development Online: Career Specialist Studies has been offered online to make the program accessible to students, regardless of their geographical location and/or work schedules. This transition has virtually enabled workforce development professionals, guidance counselors and other educators the opportunity to go back to school…from home or the office….any time, any where.

The program is receiving attention on the national level because of its unique, specialized design for professionals who provide labor market, career search information, workforce preparation, training, and placement assistance to their clients and/or students.

The program is endorsed by the National Association of Workforce Development Specialists (NAWDP)--the national association for individual practitioners in workforce development programs. Workforce development professionals who are certified by NAWDP can apply the classroom hours toward the continuing education requirement for CWDP certification.

Course content is competency-based, focusing upon an understanding of important concepts and the mastery of critical skills. The course goals and learning objectives utilize instructional methods to capitalize on students’ existing experiential and professional skills. Upon successful completion of  the course sequence, students receive a certificate of completion from the University of Illinois at Springfield. 

Students include personnel from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the Illinois Employment and Training Center (IETC) network, the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Mental Health, the Illinois Department of Rehabilitative Services, JTPA staff, high school guidance counselors, and other students seeking to gain knowledge on workforce development preparation and/or to complete degree requirements in a related area of study, either from UIS or another institution.

For more information, go to: http://www.uis.edu/hdc/careerspecialist.html