Local Training Finder Help

What does this tool do?

Local Training Finder lets you search for training programs or providers (such as community colleges, private training schools, and public and private colleges and universities) in your local area.

How do I get started?

You have two options to search with the Local Training Finder:

• Programs. Select this tab if you want to search for training programs. You can search using a keyword for a type of job, a college major, or a type of training. For example, you could enter welding, cosmetology, law, or automotive.
• College or Training Provider. Select this tab if you want to search for a college or other training provider. You can enter the name of a provider or a keyword that you expect to appear in the provider’s name.

Then enter a city and state, or ZIP code, and click "Search."

You’ll get a list of training programs or training providers that match your search term.

What information will I see if I search for training programs?

When you search for a type of program or college major, your results will include:

• The name of the program with a link to more details about the specific program. Please note that some programs may appear on your list twice if they are both WIOA certified and offered by an institution included in the U.S. Department of Education data. See "Where does this information come from?" below to learn more.
• Whether the program is mostly online, in-person, or hybrid (a mix of both).
• Whether the program has been certified as eligible for WIOA funding (learn more about WIOA funding below under “What does WIOA mean?”).
• The type of degree or credential. Most programs are one of six types: Certificate that takes less than 12 weeks to complete; Certificate that takes 12 weeks to less than 1 year; Certificate that takes 1 year to less than 2 years; Associate's degree, which usually takes 2 years to complete; Bachelor's degree, which usually takes 4 years; or Beyond bachelor's degree, which includes graduate-level programs.
• The name and location of the training provider or college, along with a link for more details.

Can I improve my list of training programs?

Your results list may be too long or it may not seem to include what you are looking for. Try these steps to improve your list:

• Use the filters to fine-tune your results. You can filter by:
  • The type of award or degree
  • The name of the college or other training provider
  • The program name
  • Whether the training is mostly online, in-person, or hybrid
  • The occupation(s) the program prepares you to work in
  • Whether the program has been certified as eligible for WIOA funding
• Change the size of the area you are searching in. If you searched using your current location or by entering a ZIP code, your results will include programs within 25 miles of that location. You can adjust this  by selecting 5, 50, or 100 miles.
• Use the “Sort by” feature at the top of your list of results to reorganize your list based on program or provider name, program length, or distance from you.

What does WIOA mean?

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal program that gives people with barriers the chance to learn skills and get job search help to obtain good quality, career jobs. 

There are two important points to know about training programs labelled "WIOA": 1) They are eligible for WIOA training funding. If you qualify for WIOA, these are the programs you could potentially enroll in to use your training funds. 2) WIOA programs meet special standards; they help participants gain recognized credentials for jobs that are in demand. So even if you aren't eligible for WIOA funding, participating in WIOA-approved programs can prepare you for good quality jobs with strong future career prospects. Learn more and find out if you might qualify for WIOA funding.

What information will I see if I search by college or training provider?

When you search for a college or training provider, your results list will include:

• The name of the training provider with a link to more details about the school or provider.
• The type of school or provider, which can be public 2-year, public 4-year, private, or WIOA certified. Please note that some providers may appear on your list twice if they are both WIOA certified and a part of the U.S. Department of Education data (read more below under “Where does this information come from?”).
• Whether the provider offers or has offered at least one program that has been certified as eligible for WIOA funding (learn more about WIOA funding above under “What does WIOA mean?”).
• The type of degree or credential. Most programs are one of six types: Certificate that takes less than 12 weeks to complete; Certificate that takes 12 weeks to less than 1 year; Certificate that takes 1 year to less than 2 years; Associate's degree, which usually takes 2 years to complete; Bachelor's degree, which usually takes4 years; or Beyond bachelor's degree, which includes graduate-level programs.
• The number of students enrolled in the program for the prior academic year (note this information is not available for providers marked WIOA and for some other schools or providers).

Your results list may be too long or it may not seem to include what you are looking for. Try these steps to improve your list.

• Use the filter to see only providers that have offer, or have offered, at least one WIOA-certified program.
• Change the size of the area you are searching in. If you searched using your current location or by entering a ZIP code, your results will include providers within 25 miles of that location. You can adjust this  by selecting 5, 50, or 100 miles.
• Use the “Sort by” feature at the top of your list of results to reorganize your list by college or provider name or location.

Can I save my list of results?

You can save your results to your CareerOneStop account by selecting the floppy disc icon at the top left of your results list. Use the other links at the top to email or print your results.

Or, to download and save your results in a document, click the Download button at the bottom of your results list, and choose from Excel, Word, pdf and RTF formats.

Where does this information come from?

Information in the Local Training Finder comes from two sources that are updated once a year:

• IPEDS data. From the U.S. Department of Education,  Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics,  Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 and Completions 2022-23. The IPEDS dataset includes all U.S. colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions that receive federal funding. This means the schools have been accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
• WIOA training provider data. Information on programs that have been certified as WIOA-eligible comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Eligible Training Provider Performance Data .

Is this information available as a web service?

For information about displaying any of this data on your own website, please visit CareerOneStop's Web API.

Who can I contact for more help?

If you have questions about any of the schools you find listed, please find and use contact information on the school's website.

If you have questions or comments about how this tool works, please contact the CareerOneStop Service Center at info@careeronestop.org.

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