Tier One Certificate Program FAQ

Tier One Certificate Program

• The second option is to add the manager or Training Coordinator to the “User Group” as a manager.

  By being a “manager” assigned to the Local Workforce Development Board’s (LWDB’s) “User Group,” the Training Coordinator/manager will receive an email when an associated staff member completes the Tier One Certification curriculum or fails to meet the deadline.

• What is the Tier One program?

  The Tier One program is required training for all front-line staff. Staff members who work with workforce customers (job seekers, employers, and workforce partners) must complete a program on basic workforce concepts and information.  This training program is called the Tier One Certification program.  All front-line staff must complete the curriculum and pass the Tier One Certification Exam within one (1) year of the staff member’s date of hire. The supporting Administrative Policy 092 can be found here.

• Are there any periods of time that we should not administer the exam?

  The only time the exam should not be administered is a time that the system is being updated.  Notice regarding the update goes out at least one week in advance, allowing Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) time to plan.

• Are there any materials that can help staff prepare for the Tier One Certification Exam?

  To prepare for the exam, the staff member should

  1. Complete each lesson of the curriculum. While working through the lessons, staff should review and answer questions in the related study guide. Almost all of the modules have a study guide posted in both TOPYX and on the FloridaCommerce website.
  2. The Workforce Training Coordination (WTC) Unit created a pre-test and uploaded it to TOPYX.The pre-test is designed to get test takers use to answering questions in the TOPYX system. It is listed in the “Catalog” as the “Tier One Pre-test to the Exam.”Staff can go to the “Catalog” and register for the pre-test themselves.

• How long does the staff member have to complete the Tier One curriculum and pass the Tier One Certification Exam?

  According to Administrative Policy Number 92, One-Stop Staff Credentialing and Skills Standards, front-line staff providing direct customer service (job seekers, employers, and community partners) must attain the Tier One Certification within one (1) year of their hire date. This includes:

  1. Completing the Tier One Certification curriculum; and
  2. Taking and passing the Tier One Certification Exam.

• What if the person completed Tier One through Dynamic Works Institute?

  Prior to 2012, the Tier One Certification program was operated by the Dynamic Works Institute. If the staff member completed the Tier One Certification curriculum, passed the exam through the Dynamic Works Institute, and the staff member has proof that they passed the exam, the staff member does not need to complete the process again. If the staff member cannot demonstrate passing the Tier One Certification Exam, the staff member will have to both complete the Tier One Certification curriculum and pass the Tier One Certification Exam.

• I was on the quiz page and went back within the presentation to find the answer. I then went back to the quiz page and selected the answer but it would not let me submit the answer. Why not?

  The quiz is “testing” how much you have learned about the Tier One materials.  The goal is to practice testing after reviewing the materials. Once you are on the quiz page in a lesson, you must answer the question. If you leave the quiz page to go back to a previous slide and then return to the quiz page, the system will not allow you to submit an answer for that question.

• What if the person passed the Tier One Certification Exam through Dynamic Works Institute but does not have proof of passing the exam?

  If the staff member previously passed the Tier One Certification Exam but cannot provide proof of passing the exam, the staff member will have to complete the current Tier One Certification curriculum, as well as pass the current Tier One Certification Exam.

• I was taking the Tier One Certificate Exam when I answered a question and selected the “Submit” button. I later went back and tried to change the answer, but the system would not let me change the answer.

  Once you answer the question and select the “Submit” button, the answer is recorded and cannot be changed. If you want to wait on answering question, skip to the next slide. You can go back later: make sure you go back to the unanswered question before you answer the last question, or you will not be able to go back to the question you did not answer. The unanswered question will count against you.

• How will I know my staff member is ready to take the Tier One Certification Exam?

  The first process allows the learner to print their transcript.

  1. The staff member logs into the TOPYX learning management system as a “Learner;”
  2. The staff member selects the “REPORTS” section on the left menu;
  3. The staff member can select the “Transcripts” tab; and
  4. The staff member can print the information for their manager.

  The “Reports” page offers a lot of information.  To print a list and status of curriculum materials, click on “Transcript” and print the page.  
  

• What does the Tier One Monthly Curriculum Report show?

  First, the report shows you how many staff members are enrolled in the Tier One program. The first section (second page) shows the number of completers, the number who need to complete courses but have started reviewing materials (in progress), and the number who are enrolled but have not started reviewing the materials (not taken).

  The second section of the report provides you with more detail about each enrolled learner. The report provides the status, registration date and last access date for each learner. This report is important because it tells you

  • If the learner has been registered for a long time but has never accessed the system.

     

  • If the learner has been registered for a long time but has not completed any of the courses.

     

  • If the learner started strong but has not accessed the system in a long time.

  The last section of the report provides detailed data about each staff member, which is very important. The data includes the name of the course, the last date the staff member logged in and reviewed the materials, the quiz score, the expected time it takes to complete the materials, and the amount of time the staff member spent actually reviewing the materials.  This information is important because it helps the Training Coordinator consider whether the staff member zoomed through the materials by skipping slides or if the staff member is leaving the materials open while doing other work.

• How do I register a learner to take the Tier One Certification Exam?

  Please do not register your staff for the Tier One Certification Exam.  When the staff member completes all of the Tier One lessons, confirm the completion in TOPYX. Go to the Training Materials website. Click on the “TOPYX” tab. On the “TOPYX” tab, you will see the Tier One Certification Exam Request Form. Open and complete the online form. Once the Tier One Certification Exam Request Form is completed (in its entirety), select the “Submit” button.

  
  
  

  Notes: please fill in all the fields on the Tier One Certification Exam Request Form. This will tell us how to handle the account. Make sure you select  your Local Worforce Development Board (LWDB) so we can make sure we are setting up the correct person to take the test.

• I was on a page in the Tier One training. I got distracted, but I came back to the training later. It would not let me enter an answer to the quiz. What happened?

  You were away too long. If you are going to do something else or walk away for longer than 20 minutes, please log off.  Once you start a quiz, we recommend you finish it. You may be required to start the quiz over if you leave in the middle of the training/quiz.

• I was taking a lesson in TOPYX. I went through the Tier One lesson and answered the quiz questions. When I got to the last page, I clicked the “Finish” button. Nothing happened, and the lesson would not close properly.

  If you pass the quiz, the “Finish” button will close the materials and allow you to move to the next lesson. If you do not pass the quiz, TOPYX will require you to go back through the quiz (or materials and quiz).  If you do not pass the quiz three times, the “Finish” button will not work, and you will not be able to go back to the quiz or successfully click the “Finish” button. As a result, the next lesson will not unlock. 

  When this occurs, contact your Training Coordinator: they can send the WTC Unit teammates a request to clear the scores and allow you to go back through the lessons and retake the quiz. The WTC Unit’s email address is WFSTraining@commerce.fl.gov.

• A staff member was just hired. (S)He previously worked in another region. We want this staff member’s information moved to our region, so he can take classes and get credit. What do we do?

  Fill out the Adobe Connect Access Request Form. On the form, there is a feature to indicate the learner is already in the system and has transferred from another region. This will guide us to update the learner’s information instead of creating a new profile.

• What is the Training Catalog?

  The Training Catalog houses system training on various topics, including Tier Two.  Unlike registered for Tier One, staff can self-register to complete training using the Training Catalog.

• Is there an order for completing the Tier One Certification curriculum materials?

  The Tier One Certification program is considered a “curriculum.”  The courses in the curriculum are organized. We group all of like lessons as “Courses,” and the “Courses” are grouped together as a “Program” or curriculum. The courses have an order for completion.

• Are there any classes in the Adobe Connect’s Training Catalog?

  There are lessons in the Adobe Connect’s Training Catalog.  There is a variety of lessons using Adobe Connect’s Training Catalog. There are lessons on using Employ Florida. There are also lessons on multiple programs (e.g. WT, SNAP, WP, etc.) under the Tier Two title. The goal of Tier Two is to provide information to frontline staff. We are working to put more classes in the internet-based system’s Training Catalog.

• How do I know if I have completed the lesson in Tier One?

  There are several ways to show you have completed the lessons in the Tier One Certification curriculum or the entire Tier One Certification “Program.”  There is a status button on each “item” in the training “Catalog” and on your “My Training” page. You know you have completed the materials, courses or program based on the status button.  

  Below is a screen shot of a “My Training” page. There are three (3) sections on the “My Training” page. The screen shot shows that the learner has started the “Florida Hires” lessons: the status button shows the learner has completed half of the lessons and can go back into the lessons by clicking the ”Continue” button.
  

  Before you register for the Tier One Certification curriculum, the program is listed in the “Catalog.” It is important to note that your manager can register you for the Tier One Certification “Program” too. If you have not been registered for the “Program,” the status button reads “Register.” 

  
  

  Once you register for the Tier One Certification lessons, the curriculum will show up on your “My Training” page with a status button that reads “Start” or “Continue.”

  
  

  Clicking into the training, all of the lessons have a status button too. The status buttons will guide you through the curriculum.  For example, the screen shot below shows that the “Course” titled “History and Structure of the Workforce Development System” is completed, and the learner has not started the “Tier One - Introduction to Workforce Programs” “Courses.”

  
  

  There is another way you can check your status in the Tier One Certification “Program.”  You can find out if you have completed all of the Tier One program lessons through your “Reports” screen.  Click on the “Reports” button on the left menu.  The status of each “Material,” “Courses,” and “Programs” you are enrolled in is displayed. You can see your completion status, date registered, etc.

  
  

• We just hired a new staff member. This staff member reports she already has a profile in the TOPYX Learning Management System (LMS). Do we create a new profile or can we move the profile to our Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB)?

  TOPYX is a Learning Management System )LMS. We want all workforce staff to have one profile in the TOPYX system. If a learner has more than one (1) profile, the completion of lessons and other documents/training sessions will be divided between multiple profiles.

  We can move that profile to your LWDB “User Group.” Please send an email to WFSTraining@commerce.fl.gov indicating you need a profile moved. We will have to update the information to reflect the new employer and location. Please provide:

  1. The learner’s name
  2. The email address from the previous LWDB
  3. The learner’s new email address
  4. The learner’s new LWDB number and LWDB name
  5. The learner’s new title
  6. The learner’s new zip code
  7. The county the learner now works in
  8. The learner’s new phone number
  9. The learner’s new staff role (options - Case Manager, Executive Leadership, Performance Specialist, Business Liaison, or Other)
  10. The learner’s new roles (Just a learner; Educator roles – Instructor or Evaluator; Manager – Manager, Marking Manager or Power Manager)
  11. If the newly hired staff member needs to be assigned to the LWDB as a manager (receives emails about the enrollment and completion of courses)

• We just hired a staff member. I created a profile in TOPYX, and I am concerned the staff member already has a profile in TOPYX? What should I do?

  Send an email to WFSTraining@commerce.fl.gov. Provide an explanation of the issue along with

  • The name and email address of the new staff. This information should refer to the current profile (the profile you want to keep and use).
  • The name and email address of the old profile (from the previous Local Workforce Development Board - LWDB).

  We will research the information. Once we find both profiles, we will merge the two (2) profiles. We also need to update the new profile. Please provide the following:

  1. The learner’s name
  2. The email address from the previous LWDB
  3. The learner’s new email address
  4. The learner’s new LWDB number and LWDB name
  5. The learner’s new title
  6. The learner’s new zip code
  7. The county the learner now works in
  8. The learner’s new phone number
  9. The learner’s new staff role (options - Case Manager, Executive Leadership, Performance Specialist, Business Liaison, or Other)
  10. The learner’s new roles (Just a learner; Instructor – Instructor or Evaluator; Manager – Manager, Marking Manager or Power Manager)
  11. If the newly hired staff member needs to be assigned to the LWDB as a manager (receives emails about the enrollment and completion of courses)

  This will ensure that the newly hired staff member can see old training information on their new profile. Please make sure to include your name, phone number and LWDB number in case we have any questions. 

• We have an employee that retired last year. We have rehired her. She completed the Tier One Certification program many years ago. Does she need to complete the Tier One Certification program again?

  If the staff member completed the Tier One Certification program in the past (through Dynamic Works Institute or FloridaCommerce), they must be able to document passing the final exam.  The staff member who has documentation of their certification does not have to complete the program again.  The staff member will have to complete 15 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) each year starting with their new hire date. This is confirmed on page three (3) of the Administrative Policy Number 92.

  The Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) can develop a policy or local operating procedure.

  • Requiring staff who completed the Tier One Certification program provided by Dynamic Works Institute before 2012 complete the Tier One Certification program again in TOPYX.
  • Requiring staff take the Tier One Certification program based on a period of time (e.g. staff must complete the Tier One Certification program every 2 years).
  • Requiring staff take the Tier One Certification program after leaving employment and then returning to employment.
  • Etc.

• Do volunteers or part-time employees working with workforce customers have to complete the Tier One Certification program within one (1) year of their start or hire date?

  Administrative Policy Number 92 does not focus on volunteer or part-time status. The focus is that all front-line staff working with workforce customers complete the Tier One Certification program.

• We have hired a manager who does not interact with customers. He is not a frontline staff member. Since we are not enrolling this staff member in Tier One, do we still need to enroll this staff member in the Adobe Connect Learning Management System.

  Yes.  CareerSource Florida and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) deploys materials to all Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). We want all LWDBs to be active and up to date in the learning management system, so we can deploy materials to all staff seamlessly.

• How long does it take for staff to get their new user name and password combination?

  The staff member will not get their username and password combination directly from us. Because each Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) wants to channel communication differently, we have chosen to communicate to staff through the Training Coordinators. We will create a profile within 3 working days and send the username and password combination to the Training Coordinators. The Training Coordinators are responsible for passing down this information to staff members along with local expectations for completing the training, study materials, and timelines for completing all work.