With the implementation of a new eligibility and benefits system in county Division of Social Services (DSS) Offices has come the realization that specially trained employees are needed. Wayne Community College is joining the state’s 57 other community colleges in providing universal, consistent training to create employees who are ready to work in the new “NC FAST” system.
Wayne Community College Continuing Education is offering the two non-credit courses that will prepare this specific workforce. Successful completion of each results in a certificate from the college.
“Introduction to DSS Income Maintenance Caseworker” explores the role of the income maintenance caseworker and provides employability skills training. Upon completion of the course, the student should demonstrate a basic understanding/proficiency in the entry-level skills required to be a DSS employee, basic computer and keyboarding skills, interviewing skills and resumes, workplace success and customer service skills, DSS and NC FAST terminology, and basic NC FAST navigation skills.
It will be taught 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, Sept. 23-Nov. 18.
“Income Maintenance Caseworker – NC FAST” covers skills associated with the job, such as communication, interviewing, time management, data gathering/compiling, and data analysis, in order to determine service eligibility. Proficiency in using the NC FAST application is a focus. The course will lead to basic understanding/proficiency in DSS client interviewing skills and DSS-specific processes.
It is scheduled for 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, Jan. 11-March 3, 2017. The introduction course must be completed before this class can be taken.
Both are “Human Resources Development” courses and as such are fee-waived for qualifying individuals who are unemployed, “underemployed,” or have received notice of layoff or pending layoff.
For more information on these courses, contact Alison Sanford at 919-739-6926 or ajsanford@waynecc.edu.
NC FAST (North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology) is designed to improve the way the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the state’s 100 county departments of social services conduct business. Its new technological tools and business processes will enable staff to spend less time performing administrative tasks by improving the way eligibility is determined and benefits given for a whole spectrum of services, such as Food and Nutrition Services, Medicaid, Work First and child care. The goal is to free staff to spend more time assisting families.
WCC’s Human Resources Development Program provides employability skills training and career development courses for adults who are trying to find employment, transitioning back into the workforce, or working to redefine their professional vocation in today’s global market
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 14,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.