Privacy Policy.

Effective Date: September 3, 2026 Last Reviewed: September 3, 2026 Policy Owner: Executive Director, Team Workforce

Team Workforce (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization located at 25 E Boardman St, Youngstown, OH 44503. We help students and adults in the Mahoning Valley earn industry-recognized credentials and connect to career pathways.

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you. It also sets out the rules for acceptable use of our website, learning platforms, and program services.

This policy applies to:

• The website teamworkforce.org and any subdomains (the “Site”)
• Our official social media pages, including our Facebook Page
• Program registration, enrollment, credentialing, and career navigation services (the “Services”)
• Email, phone, text, and in-person communications with Team Workforce staff

By using the Site or participating in the Services, you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or Services.

1. Who This Policy Covers

We serve several groups, and the information we collect differs for each:

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Identity and contact information: name, mailing address, email address, phone number, date of birth, and emergency contact information.
• Enrollment and eligibility information: school or employer name, grade level, current education status, employment status, county of residence, and other details required to determine eligibility for state or federal workforce programs.
• Program and credential records: courses enrolled, attendance, assessment scores, exam results, certifications earned, and completion status.
• Demographic information (optional unless required by a funder): race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, disability status, and household income range. This information is collected only where required by a funding program or reporting obligation and is reported in aggregate.
• Payment and sponsorship information: if a course is paid for by an individual, employer, or funding program, we collect the information needed to process or document that payment. Team Workforce does not store full credit card or bank account numbers; payments are processed by third-party payment processors.
• Communications: messages you send us through forms, email, phone, text, or social media.
• Employment and volunteer applications: résumés, references, background check authorizations, and related materials.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, our hosting and analytics tools may automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate geographic location (city/region level)
• Browser type, operating system, and device type
• Pages visited, links clicked, time spent on pages, and referring website
• Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7)

2.3 Information From Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

• Partner school districts and career centers that refer students to our programs (limited to what is necessary to deliver the program)
• Certification and exam-delivery vendors that report exam attempts and results to us as the sponsoring organization
• State and federal workforce program administrators confirming eligibility, approval, or reimbursement status
• Employers sponsoring an employee’s training

3. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. Enroll you in courses, schedule exams, and issue credentials
2. Verify eligibility for state and federal workforce funding programs
3. Communicate with you about schedules, deadlines, results, and program updates
4. Provide career navigation, work-based learning connections, and referrals to employers or postsecondary partners (only with your consent for individually identifiable referrals)
5. Submit required reports to funders, sponsors, and government agencies
6. Improve our programs, courses, and Site through aggregate analysis
7. Comply with legal obligations, audits, and grant requirements
8. Protect the security of our Site, systems, and participants
9. Publicize program outcomes using aggregate, de-identified data only (for example, “24 students earned a credential this summer”)

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information to anyone, and we do not use personal information for third-party advertising.

4. How We Share Information

We share personal information only in the circumstances below.

4.1 Service Providers

We use third-party vendors to operate the Site and deliver the Services, including website hosting, email delivery, learning management and courseware platforms, certification exam delivery, video conferencing, cloud document storage, and payment processing. These vendors may access personal information only to perform services for Team Workforce and are contractually required to protect it and not use it for their own purposes.

4.2 Partner Schools and Districts

When a program is delivered through a partner school district or career center, we share enrollment, attendance, and completion information with that school’s authorized staff so they can award credit, meet graduation requirements, and support the student. In these arrangements Team Workforce acts as a school official with a legitimate educational interest under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), operating under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of education records.

4.3 Funders and Government Agencies

Many of our programs are supported by state and federal funds. Where required by the terms of those programs, we share participant information with the administering agency, which may include the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, county job and family services agencies, local workforce development boards, and fiscal agents administering pass-through grants. Each agency’s own privacy rules govern the information once received.

4.4 Certification Bodies

To register you for an industry certification exam, we share your name and contact information with the certifying organization. The certifying organization maintains its own account, privacy policy, and credential record for you.

4.5 Employers

If an employer sponsors your training, we share enrollment and completion status with that employer. We share exam scores with an employer only with your written consent, unless the employer is the party of record for a funded program that requires it.

4.6 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, court order, audit, or government investigation, or when necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of Team Workforce, our participants, or others.

4.7 Organizational Changes

If Team Workforce merges with or transfers programs to another nonprofit or public entity, participant records may be transferred to the successor organization, which will be bound by this policy or one at least as protective.

5. Students and Minors

Because we serve high school students, we apply additional protections to anyone under 18.

• Parental consent. Before a minor participates in a Team Workforce program, we obtain written consent from a parent or guardian, either directly or through the partner school’s enrollment process.
• Limited collection. We collect only the information necessary to deliver the program and meet reporting requirements. We do not ask minors for information unrelated to the program.
• No marketing to minors. We do not send promotional communications to participants under 18, and we do not use minors’ information for advertising.
• Photos, video, and names. We do not publish a minor’s name, image, school, or credential status without a signed media release from a parent or guardian. Public announcements of program outcomes use aggregate figures only.
• Children under 13. Our Site and Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 online. If we learn we have done so, we will delete it promptly. Parents who believe a child under 13 has provided information to us should contact us at info@teamworkforce.org.
• FERPA and Ohio law. Student education records we receive from or create on behalf of a partner school are treated as confidential in accordance with FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g) and Ohio Revised Code § 3319.321. Parents and eligible students may exercise their FERPA rights through their school district; Team Workforce will cooperate fully with any such request.

6. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold, including:

• Role-based access limited to staff who need the information to perform their duties
• Password protection and multi-factor authentication on systems that hold participant records
• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) on the Site and in our cloud platforms
• Regular software updates, security patching, and malware scanning of the Site
• Secure disposal of paper and electronic records at the end of their retention period
• Staff training on confidentiality, FERPA, and this policy at hire and annually thereafter

No system is completely secure. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected individuals and any required agencies in accordance with Ohio Revised Code § 1349.19 and other applicable laws, without unreasonable delay.

7. Cookies and Website Tracking

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

We do not use cookies for behavioral advertising. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies; doing so may limit some Site features. We honor Global Privacy Control signals where technically supported.

Our social media pages are governed by the privacy policies of the respective platforms in addition to this policy. Information you post publicly on those pages is visible to others.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal, grant, and audit obligations.

When a retention period ends, records are securely deleted or destroyed, or fully de-identified for statistical use.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You may, at any time:

• Access the personal information we hold about you and receive a copy
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your information, subject to our legal and grant retention obligations
• Withdraw consent for optional uses such as photo/media releases or individually identifiable employer referrals
• Opt out of email communications by using the unsubscribe link in any message or emailing info@teamworkforce.org
• Opt out of text messages by replying STOP to any message

To exercise these rights, contact us using the details in Section 13. We will verify your identity before releasing or changing records and will respond within 30 days. For student education records held on behalf of a partner school, we will coordinate the response with that school as FERPA requires. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.

10. Acceptable Use of the Site and Learning Platforms

Participants, visitors, and partners agree to use the Site, courseware, testing platforms, and any Team Workforce-provided accounts responsibly. You may not:

1. Share, lend, or sell login credentials, or access another person’s account
2. Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any system, data, or exam content
3. Copy, record, distribute, or publish exam questions, proprietary courseware, or licensed materials
4. Misrepresent your identity, eligibility, or credentials, or submit false information on any registration or funding form
5. Use the Site or platforms to harass, threaten, or discriminate against any person
6. Upload malware, run automated scrapers, or otherwise interfere with the operation or security of the Site
7. Use Team Workforce’s name, logo, or materials to imply endorsement without written permission
8. Violate any applicable law or the terms of service of a third-party platform we provide access to

Violation of these rules may result in removal from a program, cancellation of exam registrations, forfeiture of credentials obtained through misconduct, and referral to the certifying body, partner school, or law enforcement where appropriate.

Team Workforce-provided accounts and course access are for the duration of your enrollment. Access is deactivated when a program ends or upon removal.

11. Third-Party Links and Platforms

The Site and our communications may link to external websites, including certification bodies, state funding portals, partner schools, and employers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites, and this policy does not apply to them. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

12. Accessibility, Non-Discrimination, and Equal Opportunity

Team Workforce provides programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to making the Site and Services accessible to people with disabilities. If you need this policy or any Team Workforce material in an alternative format, or need an accommodation to participate, contact us at info@teamworkforce.org or (412) 475-8179.

13. Contact Us

Questions, requests, complaints, or concerns about this policy or our handling of your information should be directed to:

Team Workforce Attn: Executive Director – Privacy 25 E Boardman St Youngstown, OH 44503 Email: info@teamworkforce.org Phone: (412) 475-8179 Web: https://teamworkforce.org

If you believe a partner school has mishandled a student’s education records, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.

14. Changes to This Policy

We review this policy at least annually and whenever our programs, funding sources, or applicable laws change. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy on the Site with a new effective date and, where we have your email address, notify active participants and parents/guardians of minors before the change takes effect. Continued use of the Site or Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

15. Governing Law

This policy is governed by the laws of the State of Ohio and applicable federal law, including FERPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act as it applies to federally funded programs.

Team Workforce is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Bridging Education and Industry for Success.