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Commissioner Approved Training (CAT) allows you to collect Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits while you are attending full-time vocational training. You do not have to look for work if you are granted CAT.
Training Benefits are additional UI benefits paid to eligible dislocated workers enrolled in and making satisfactory progress in a full-time vocational training program approved by the Unemployment Insurance Program. Training Benefits are paid after you have received all regular benefits payable to you.
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You must apply for Training Benefits within 60 days and be enrolled in training within 90 days of filing or reopening your UI claim
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Will the CAT program
and/or Training Benefits pay my tuition?
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No. CAT and Training Benefits do not pay for your training. CAT simply allows you to attend vocational training and draw UI without having to look for work. Training Benefits are an extension of your UI benefits.
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How do I know what
kind of training to apply for?
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If you need help, contact your nearest WorkSource Office or Affiliate, the Boeing
Career Transition Center or call your
Unemployment Claims TeleCenter. Whether you identify which training to pursue, or you work with a counselor, make sure your program meets CAT criteria, and if applicable, Training Benefit criteria before investing too much time in the process.
To be considered potentially eligible for Training Benefits, you must be from a declining occupation and training into a high demand occupation, as determined by your local Workforce Development Council (WDC). Additionally, the school and training program you want to attend must be on the “Eligible Training Provider” list developed by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.
See the Local Area Demand/Decline Occupations page for occupations determined by your WDC to be in decline or demand in your local area. See Eligible Training Provider List page for the list of eligible training providers.
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If I enroll in training under a sponsored program such as a National Reserve Grant or the Worker Retraining Program at a Community College, will I automatically qualify for CAT and Training Benefits?
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No -- if you enroll in full-time
training for an occupation for which there are expected to be
reasonable employment opportunities in your labor market, you
will probably be eligible for CAT. To maintain CAT eligibility
while in training, your school must certify you are making satisfactory
progress in your training.
If you are enrolled in full time training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA) you will be approved for CAT.
Training Benefits eligibility requirements are more stringent. Though CAT approval is required, CAT approval does not mean you are automatically eligible for Training Benefits. To be eligible for Training Benefits, you must show you need training to find suitable work in your labor market and that your full time training program will qualify you for a high demand, high paying job in your labor market. This means you probably would not qualify for Training Benefits if you could get a job without any training that pays similar to the job(s) for which you are training.
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If I am approved
for CAT, will I receive more unemployment benefits?
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No, CAT simply allows you to attend full time training. It does not increase the amount or duration of your unemployment benefits. The current maximum amount of regular benefits is 30 times a claimant’s weekly benefit amount. Not everyone qualifies for a maximum claim. Review the “Statement of Wages and Hours” you received (or will receive) when you filed your UI application to determine the maximum amount payable to you in regular UI benefits.
If you apply and are approved for Training Benefits, you could be eligible for up to a maximum of 74 times your weekly benefit amount, minus any regular and extended benefits paid (does not include federal Temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (TEUC)). Training Benefits are payable until you complete (or withdraw from) training or run out of benefits, whichever comes first. Training Benefits are payable only while you are enrolled in full time training.
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I have been approved for CAT and school doesn't start right away. I'm thinking of taking a “survival” job just to make ends meet. Will I risk losing my CAT eligibility if I quit that job when my training starts?
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If you have been previously granted CAT and take a "survival" job during a non-school period, you may be able to quit that job when your training starts or resumes without losing your unemployment benefits. You must have been previously approved for CAT and the primary reason for leaving the job must be to start or resume your training. For more information, please call your Unemployment Claims TeleCenter.
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What do I have to do to stay CAT and/or Training Benefits eligible once I've been approved?
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Your training must remain full-time and you must be making satisfactory progress in your training program, as determined by your school. Notify your
Unemployment Claims TeleCenter immediately if:
- You withdraw from training
- Your attendance drops below full time as defined by the school
- There are any other significant changes to your training program, such as changing schools or changing your major area of study.
Failing to notify your Unemployment Claims TeleCenter may result in an overpayment of UI benefits which you would have to pay back.
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Do I need to be looking for work if I plan to go to school? I'm working with a counselor and gathering labor market and school information like I was told to do to apply for CAT.
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Yes. Until you are approved for CAT, and until you are going to classes full time (for CAT) or you are "enrolled in training" for Training Benefits, you must be actively looking for work and you must list your work search contacts on your Job Search log. If you have any questions about your job search requirement, call your Unemployment Claims TeleCenter.
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