Welcome to the Office of Workforce and Community Initiatives Training Portal

Meet the OWCI Training Team

John Melzer
OWCI - Training Manager
Jefferson City, MO

Pam Petree
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist
Jefferson City, MO

Steven Gentry
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist
Jefferson City, MO

Barbara Hoehne
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist
Jefferson City, MO

Sondra Huey
OWCI - Staff Development Training Specialist
Pineville, MO

Brittany Neely
OWCI- Staff Development Training Specialist
St. Louis, MO

Cinnamon Davidson
OWCI- Staff Development Training Specialist
Union, MO

Mollye Doering
OWCI- Staff Development Training Specialist
Jefferson City, MO

Sophia Olvera
Program Assistant
Jefferson City, MO

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 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

Sep 15 & 16, 2026
Oct 20 & 21, 2026
Nov 17 & 18, 2026
Dec 15 & 16, 2026

MWA Training Information

Please complete all relevant trainings and forms listed below. All surveys at the end of each training must be completed and submitted. Once the survey has been submitted, the MWA team will be notified. Access will be granted after the two required PDF forms have been received.

If you indicated that you would like a certificate of completion, it will be emailed to the employee within two weeks.

Please email the completed forms to: FSD.E&TInquiry@dss.mo.gov

All trainings as indicated below.

For new staff, please complete the following self-driven trainings:

Management is required to complete the following self-driven trainings:

MWA Management Training
MWA Systems Training
The Cliff Effect
DSS Confidentiality Policy - The policy must be read, and the bottom must be signed properly, and returned.
MWA DSS Access Request - The form must be filled out completely and the supervisor must sign the form before access can be granted.

All forms can also be found on this site: MWA | Missouri Department of Social Services

MWA trainings are self-paced. However, if you would like a virtual instructor-led session, please request it by emailing FSD.WIT.CIU.Training@dss.mo.gov

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 Workplace Stability Training Interest. 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 Bridges out of Poverty Interest. 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.