Welcome to the Office of Workforce and Community Initiatives Training Portal
Meet the OWCI Training Team

John Melzer
OWCI - Training Manager

Pam Petree
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist

Steven Gentry
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist

Barbara Hoehne
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist

Sondra Huey
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist
The Office of Workforce and Community Initiatives Training Team is committed to developing clear, high-quality training programs that foster both professional and personal growth. Drawing on our diverse skills, knowledge, and backgrounds, we support the learning needs of Missouri citizens, service providers, and Department of Social Services staff.
Our goal is to provide comprehensive training to program providers and DSS staff so they may better serve Missouri citizens.
SkillUP and MWA Training Information
Need to schedule your staff for training? Please follow the steps below:
- Training Registration Form - Please fill out completely
- MoJobs Access Request Form - Fill out completely, including organization region, address, phone number, etc. Access cannot be granted without the supervisor’s signature.
- Please read the MoJobs Confidentiality & Information Security Plan
- MoJobs Confidentiality Attestation - must be signed by the employee. Access cannot be granted without the trainee’s signature.
- Once all forms are completed and signed, email the documents to FSD.WIT.CIU.Training@dss.mo.gov. A training staff member will be in touch with further details as the class date approaches.
All SkillUP & MWA classes will be virtual and self-driven unless other arrangements are made.
For SkillUP Class Information and materials, click here.
Any questions, special requests, refresher trainings, or special accommodations can be requested via email to FSD.WIT.CIU.Training@dss.mo.gov
Our current selection of New Staff Training dates can be found below:
SkillUP Training Dates
Classes are 9am to 4pm each day
- Jun 17 & 18, 2025
- Jul 15 & 16, 2025
- Aug 19 & 20, 2025
- Sep 16 & 17, 2025
- Oct 21 & 22, 2025
- Nov 18 & 19, 2025
SkillUP Training Dates
Classes are 9am to 4pm each day
- Dec 16 & 17, 2025
- Jan 21 & 22, 2026
- Feb 10 & 11, 2026
- Mar 17 & 18, 2026
- Apr 14 & 15, 2026
Workplace Stability
The Workplace Stability program offers a practical, research-based training designed to help HR professionals, business leaders, and workforce development teams support under-resourced, entry-level, and low-wage employees. This interactive workshop explores how economic class and limited resources impact employee stability, performance, and organizational success.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the daily challenges many employees face and learn actionable strategies to improve retention, productivity, and workplace culture. The training focuses on reducing costly turnover, boosting morale, and building a resilient, adaptable workforce. Key outcomes include:
- Identifying the root causes of employee instability
- Reducing the hard and soft costs of turnover
- Increasing employee retention and engagement
- Improving company culture and leadership effectiveness
- Gaining a competitive edge in a tight labor market
- Supporting managers in creating strong onboarding and retention strategies
By applying these techniques, organizations can strengthen their workforce and create lasting improvements that benefit both the company and the broader community.
To get more information on hosting Workplace Stability training for your organization, complete the Registration Form. Please be sure to fill the form out completely and then send to FSD.WIT.SIU.Training@dss.mo.gov and one of our staff members will get back to you with further details.
Bridges Out of Poverty
This workshop is a comprehensive approach to understanding poverty. Participants will receive specific strategies for improving outcomes, but the focus of the workshop is to provide a broad overview of concepts.
Bridges Out of Poverty uses the lens of economic class and provides concrete tools and strategies for a community to understand, address, and alleviate poverty. This training assists community organizations, social service agencies, employers, and individuals in gaining insight and strategies to ultimately create stability for all.
Participants of this workshop will:
- Examine the resources by which you create stability.
- Discover the causes of poverty.
- Create and analyze mental models of economic environments.
- Discover the hidden rules of economic classes.
- Understand how economic environments impact language and story structures.
- Discuss stability within family and support system.
- Learn the importance of building social capital
- Learn new tools and strategies for improving relationships and outcomes.
To get more information on hosting Bridges Out of Poverty training for your organization, complete the Registration Form. Please be sure to fill the form out completely and then send to FSD.WIT.SIU.Training@dss.mo.gov and one of our staff members will get back to you with further details.
Program Training Materials

- Certificate - SNAP Civil Rights Mandatory Training
- Change Request Guidance
- Civil Rights Training - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Individual Employment Plan Refresher
- Mandatory Provider Determination Training
- Serving ABAWDs Training
- SkillUP FAQs
- SkillUP Funding Flowchart
- SkillUP Funding Flow Chart - Printable
- SkillUP Provider Presentation
- SkillUP Quick Reference Guide
- SNAP Activity and Service Guide
- SNAP User Guide

- Adding Activities to MoJobs
- Adding Alert Subscriptions in the SNAP Application User Guide
- Adding Case Notes
- Adding Credentials and Employment
- Case Manager Assignment in the SNAP Application Guide
- Change Request Guidance
- Create an Employment Plan
- Create an Objective Assessment Summary
- Create a Resume
- Job Retention Services – SkillUP Staff Guidance
- MoJobs Overview
- MoJobs Training Site
- Report User Guide

- Community Needs Assessment Training PowerPoint Slides
- State Plan & Reporting Training PowerPoint Slides
- CNA Training
- Passcode: !yA?x6Xk
- Organizational Standards
- Passcode: =40G%KyJ
- Organizational Standards Training in MIS
- Passcode: Ja*1b?6#
- Board Governance Training
- Passcode: @dL5w^@3
- Board Governance Training Presentation

- Human Trafficking
- Maintaining Confidentiality
- Self-Care Plan Form
- VOCA Allowable and Unallowable Costs
- VOCA Allowable Costs -
Module 1 - VOCA Other Allowable Costs - Module 2
- VOCA Unallowable Costs - Module 3
- VOCApedia
- Victims Compensation Benefits
- VOCA Quarterly Report Training
- VOCA SAR Report Instruction
- DSS VOCA Domestic Violence 101
- VOCA Match


- Dealing with Mental Anxiety amidst COVID
- Domestic Violence Training
- Executive Function
- Executive Function Skills and Stress
- Introduction to Mental Health First Aid
- Self-Care Prioritize Your Well-Being