SECTION A: Trade Adjustment Assistance

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DEFINITIONS | REFERENCES | WEBSITE | INQUIRES

Based on the availability of federal funds TAA participants must meet the following six criteria for approval of training. 

1. There is no suitable employment available for the participant.

No suitable employment (work of an equal or higher skill level than the participant’s past adversely affected employment and the wages are not less than 80 percent of the participant’s average weekly wage at the time of the qualifying separation) is available at the time for the participant, either in the commuting area or outside the commuting area in which the participant desires to relocate.

2. The participant will benefit from appropriate training.

The training program can provide the participant with skills needed for employment in a demand occupation.

The comprehensive assessment supports that the participant has the aptitude to undertake, make satisfactory progress in, and complete the training.

The participant will be job ready upon completion of the training program.

3. There is a reasonable expectation of employment following the completion
   of training.

The training must be in a demand occupation for the labor market in which the participant resides or is willing to relocate.

4. Training is reasonably available to the participant from either public or
   private sources. 

The participant can access the training site from within the commuting area.

The service provider may approve training outside the commuting area if training is not available within the participants commuting area providing the total cost is within the state’s established limit.  

5. The worker is qualified to undertake and complete such training.

The service provider shall take into account the following factors regarding the
participant when approving training:

• Physical and mental capabilities.

• Educational background.

• Previous work experience.

• Financial resources (this shall include an analysis of the worker's remaining weeks of UI and TRA payments in relation to the duration of the training program).

• Personal or family resources (availability of these resources must be determined in the event that UI and TRA payments exhaust before the end of the training program).

The service provider shall document in the case file that they discussed all of these factors with the participant before the approval of training. 

The service provider shall not approve training when adequate financial resources are not available for the participant to complete training. 

6. Such training is suitable for the worker and available at a reasonable cost

(suitability in this case means that the participant satisfies all criteria from #5).

The service provider shall consider the lowest cost training, which is available within the commuting area.  When more than one training provider offers training, similar in quality, content, and results, the service provider shall approve the lowest cost training. 

The service provider shall not approve training when the cost of the training is unreasonably high in comparison with the average cost of training in similar occupations at other providers. 

The service provider shall consider obtaining funds from sources other than TAA when the participant enters training.

The service provider shall not approve training:

• In an occupational area, that requires an extraordinarily high skill level relative to the participant’s current skill level. 

• When the cost of training is substantially higher than the costs of other training that is suitable for the participant. 

Veteran's Priority of Services
The Trade Adjustment Assistance program will comply with the Jobs for Veterans Act, enacted into Public law 107-288 on November 2, 2002.  Covered veterans determined eligible for the TAA program shall receive priority over non veterans for the receipt of appropriate services provided under the TAA program.

DEFINITIONS

Reasonable Cost

Training is not approved at one institution when, all costs being considered, the same training can be obtained at another institution at a lower total cost.  The service provider shall disapprove training if the cost of training is unreasonably high compared to the cost of training other workers in similar occupations. Transportation or subsistence costs that add substantially to the total cost also provide a basis for disapproving the training. Training for an extraordinarily high skill level at an unreasonably high cost provides a basis for disapproving the training.

REFERENCES

• Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002

• Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 20 Chapter 5, Part 617

• Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 11-02 dated 10/10/02  

• Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03, dated 09/16/03

SUPERSEDES

None

WEBSITE

http://www.wa.gov/esd/policies

DIRECT INQUIRIES TO

Randy Bachman
Employment Security Department
Employment and Training Division, State Trade Coordinator
P.O. Box 9046, MS 6000
Olympia, WA 98507-9046
E-Mail: rbachman@esd.wa.gov
Telephone: (360) 438-3148
FAX: (360) 438-3174