Dislocated Workers
Have you been laid off or given a layoff notice? The WIOA Dislocated Worker program offers training and employment services to help eligible workers get back to work after losing a job through no fault of their own.
About the Dislocated Worker Program
The WIOA Dislocated Worker program provides employment and training services to eligible workers who are out of work due to no fault of their own or have received an official layoff notice. WIOA broadens the definition of dislocated worker to include the spouse of an active military member who lost employment due to a permanent change in duty location, or who is unemployed or underemployed and having difficulty finding or upgrading work.
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Occupational skills training, including training for nontraditional employment
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On-the-job training (OJT), including registered apprenticeship
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Incumbent worker training in accordance with WIOA §134(d)(4)
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Private sector training programs
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Skills upgrading and retraining
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Entrepreneurial training
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Job readiness training provided in combination with other training described above
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Workplace training and cooperative education programs;
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Adult education and literacy activities, including activities of English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs, in combination with training
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Customized training conducted with a commitment by an employer or group of employers to employ an individual upon successful completion of the training.
Dislocated Worker Program Overview
WIOA is intended to improve participant access to training services. Individuals are given training to help them enter and remain in the workforce. Examples of training services include:
Be 18 years of age or older
Be able to work in the United States
Be registered for Selective Service or have valid exemption
Provide a valid Social Security Number
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive WIOA services as an adult in the adult and dislocated worker programs, an individual must
A dislocated worker is an individual who meets one of the following criteria listed below.
Category A
Individual Lay-off
The applicant must meet all three of these conditions.
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Has been terminated or laid off or has received a notice of termination or layoff, from employment
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Meets one of the following conditions concerning unemployment compensation:
– Is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation
– Has been employed long enough to demonstrate attachment to the workforce (that is, has received wages in at least one (1) quarter in the last year immediately prior to eligibility determination, but is not eligible for unemployment compensation due to insufficient earnings or having performed services for an employer not covered under a state unemployment compensation law -
Is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation (In compliance with TEGL 19-16, it is Arkansas state policy that local areas must define “unlikely to return-to a previous industry or occupation.”)
Special Veteran’s Criterion: A separating service member qualifies as a dislocated worker under Category A if the separation is anything other than dishonorable, whether or not he or she receives or is eligible for Unemployment Compensation. A DD-214 from the Department of Defense or other appropriate documentation that shows a separation or imminent separation from the Armed Forces qualifies as the notice of termination or layoff to meet the dislocated worker definition. ETA policy dictates that a separating service member meets the Dislocated Worker requirement that an individual is unlikely to return to his or her previous industry or occupation . A separating service member may be provided career services while he or she is still part of the Active Duty military if the service member has an imminent separation date and the discharge will be anything other than dishonorable.