This report poses and answers questions to assist survivors of human trafficking and other forms of gender-based violence in improving their employability during the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in online programming enticements to improve employment prospects.
One issue addressed is the nature of skills or credentials needed for the survivor’s chosen career path. This involves identifying skills survivors already have and then identifying what skills and training are needed in the current job market that fit the survivor’s preferred career path. Another question posed regards the determination of who is offering a particular education or training program. This pertains to the legitimacy, expertise, and motives of those offering the training program. A related question posed is whether the program being offered is accredited, which means it has met educational standards set by a known authoritative body, such as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Authority. Another question posed and addressed relates to whether the program being offered has eligibility requirements, such as whether citizenship status is required. Other issues addressed include whether the program requires basic literacy and core skills or provides non-English alternatives; whether the survivor has reliable access to technology and basic tech literacy; and whether the learning structure provided matches the individual’s learning style. Remaining issues are the program’s demonstrated results and costs. This paper provides a chart that can be used to compare programs and centralize information to make it more accessible for a broad range of survivors to understand how prospective job-training programs fit their needs and aspirations.