Finding a Job Can Be Tough.
Weren’t able to finish school as planned? Falling behind on current training? Not living in a stable place? Are you a laid-off worker and not sure where to go next? We get it. There are millions of reasons why great candidates get held back from applying to jobs. But it doesn’t have to be the same way for you. When you’re ready to take the next step, Career Link is here to help.
Central Illinois Career Services & Tuition Assistance
Whether you’re a high school student looking for a first job, a seasoned professional with a family to support, or someone stuck somewhere in between, Career Link offers a variety of services to assist you along the way. We offer:
- Job search assistance
- Resume and cover letter help
- Funding for job training programs and education
- Tuition assistance
- Access to computers and the internet
- GED assistance
- Interview skills training and mock interviews
- Help applying for unemployment
- One-on-one career planning assistance with a trained career planner
Our staff will work with you from resume creation through the interview process and follow-up, to negotiating salary and accepting your new job! Career Link also presents monthly career fairs and orientations to connect you to job agencies and organizations that are hiring in Central Illinois. Additional job fairs are held periodically. Check out our calendar to see all our upcoming events!
We also help connect eligible individuals with tuition assistance to train for careers in high-growth occupations. Everything from healthcare and information technology to transportation and manufacturing, there are always options available to you through Career Link. Tuition assistance can pay up to $22,000 for up to two years of training at a local community college, private school, or university. Additional supportive services may also be available as needed.
Eligibility
We provide career services and tuition assistance to eligible individuals. You may qualify if you:
- Have had a fairly low income over the past six months
- Have lost a job within the past four years due to business closure, lack of work, or honorable military discharge
- Have depended on the income of a spouse and lost access to the income in the past four years.
Career services and tuition assistance are provided to individuals that best meet the eligibility criteria established by the federal Department of Labor, as determined by professional Career Planners. No tuition assistance or other benefits can be paid without prior approval.
Finding a job and getting financial help can be hard, frustrating, and discouraging. With Career Link, you don’t have to go on your journey alone. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!
Equal Opportunity
Resources for Customers with Disabilities
Career Link is committed to serving our customers and providing access to our services. We have a variety of equipment and resources to assist individuals with disabilities at our locations across Central Illinois.
Assistive Technology
Career Link offices have assistive technology and materials to accommodate a variety of disabilities. All offices offer screen reading and magnification software. The Normal and Peoria offices are equipped with motorized adjustable workstations, adjustable chairs, and enhanced keyboards and mice. A Braille printer is available in the Peoria office.
Illinois Relay Services
Illinois Relay is a free service that allows those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech-disabled, or deaf-blind to place and receive calls to standard telephone users via a keyboard or assistive device. Illinois Relay offers additional relay numbers for people who want to use their voice or listen with their TTY and for people who are deaf-blind and use a tele-braille. Standard telephone and TTY users may also choose to use Illinois Relay's traditional ten-digit number or the convenient three-digit number 711.
Other Resources for Individuals with Disabilities
- Americans with Disabilities Act - Information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Employer Tax Credits - An employer who hires you may qualify for a variety of federal tax credits, which give the employer an incentive to hire you for the job
- Illinois Assistive Technology Program - Helps individuals with disabilities by providing assistive technology devices and services throughout Illinois
- Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services - Works in partnership with people with disabilities and their families to assist them in making informed choices to achieve full community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities
- Illinois Healthcare Portal for Persons with Disabilities - Helps people with disabilities and their families get the information they need to take advantage of the services the State of Illinois offers
- Job Accommodation Network Portal - The leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues
- Social Security Disability Benefits - Social Security pays disability benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition that's expected to last at least one year or result in death.
All Career Link workNet Centers, Affiliate Sites and Approved Training Providers are monitored annually to ensure Equal Opportunity/ADA compliance.
For more details, please contact Career Link's Equal Opportunity Officer, David Vaughn, at