Transition Agent assigned to conduct needs assessment and build personalized plan for each participant outlining education and career opportunities. Transition Agents will be located in local WorkForce Offices throughout West Virginia.

• Works with businesses, agencies, and organizations to identify job vacancies, remove barriers to employment, and resolve issues related to integration and independence for individuals with barriers to employment
• Markets available services to businesses and community organizations
• Disseminates information by providing education, outreach, and trainings to the general public, businesses, employers, and community organizations
• Conducts regular follows-up with the participant’s employer and reports results to appropriate staff
• Refers the participant to Adult Education programs as applicable
• Identifies employment barriers such as a missing/expired birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license, or other identification, and assists the participant in overcoming these barriers
• Conducts daily job searches and development activities directed toward positions that are customized to the interests and uniqueness of the participant
• Conducts and/or arranges workshops to assist the participant in identifying potential employment barriers and how to overcome these barriers
• Assists with resume writing and ensures the completion of employment applications.

There are a variety of training programs offered at local adult and career training centers, Community & Technical Colleges, or through programs offered by other state partners. Transition Agents will help connect participants with resources chosen for them based on interests and skills of each participant.

If applicable, participants will complete a 30-day job readiness and basic life skills training resulting in basic certifications such as food handlers card, safety/customer service and entry level hospitality. Transition Agents will also assist participants wishing to earn their High School Equivalency. Following this training, participants may enter the workforce if desired (e.g., food service, retail, hospitality, etc.).

West Virginia Adult Education works to enable adult workers to be literate, productive and successful in the workplace, home, and community by delivering responsive adult education programs and services. West Virginia has 90 adult learning centers statewide to serve participants.
https://wvde.us/adult-education/

Jobs and Hope works to bring partners together to prepare participants for a lifetime of success. By making available the appropriate educational and training opportunities, West Virginia can provide its citizens with the work skills needed by businesses currently in the state or planning a West Virginia location. Upon entering the workForce, participants will receive ongoing support from Transition Agents and/or the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources to ensure success.

Participants will be referred to local WorkForce WV Development Boards. There, WorkForce WV staff will work with them to determine if they’re eligible for training programs through the WorkForce WV Innovation and Opportunity Act. These programs can be either short-term or long-term training.

Once it is determined that participants are job-ready, a Transition Agent will assist them in completing a work application online to register in the WorkForce WV system. Once registered, they will be able to search for jobs they are qualified for and interested in. Transition Agents will then be able to refer participants to partners for help with resume preparation, interviewing skills, supportive services, and more.

The Safety Treatment Program, now under the authority of the Division of Motor Vehicles, is aimed at West Virginians who have had their licenses suspended or revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. If not otherwise prohibited by state law, West Virginians who successfully complete the program will be eligible to have their driver’s licenses reissued.

This program includes, but is not limited to treatment of alcoholism, treatment of alcohol and drug abuse, psychological counseling, educational courses on the dangers of alcohol and drugs as they relate to driving, defensive driving, other safety driving instruction, and other programs designed to properly educate, train, or rehabilitate the subject.

Specifics of the program vary by participant, depending on the exact nature of the offense which led to the revocation of the individual’s license. The time it takes to get a driver’s license back also varies by specifics of the offense.

Some participants may be required to partake in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program — which allows participants to operate a motor vehicle with a device designed to prevent the vehicle from starting when there is alcohol detected in the subject’s bloodstream.

There are fees involved with participating in the Safety and Treatment Program and the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program. However, authorities can waive these fees for people who are unable to pay.

For more details on the relevant legislation, view Senate Bill 90 here.

West Virginians convicted of certain non-violent criminal offenses and certain non-violent felonies will be eligible to have their offenses expunged after completing the relevant steps of the Jobs & Hope program. This expungement can only be used once.

Time for expungement varies based on the specific offense. If sentenced to a period of supervision or confinement, individuals must complete the sentenced period before they can be eligible for expungement.

Certain crimes are not eligible for expungement under the state law which pertains to Jobs & Hope. These include (but are not limited to) violent felony offenses, felony offenses in which the victim was a minor, non-violent criminal offenses involving intentional injury to a minor or a law enforcement officer, offenses in which the victim was a spouse, and offenses for which the sentencing judge made a written finding that the offense was sexually motivated.

Upon completion of all the treatment and training required by state law, participants in Jobs & Hope can petition the circuit court where the conviction occurred for expungement. Each participant’s Transition Agent will help him or her navigate the expungement process.

For more details on the relevant legislation, view Senate Bill 152 here.