TAA Policy Manual
Ch. 7) Program Benefits

7.6 Training Services & Supplemental Assistance

Table of Contents 

7.6.1 Training Benefit Overview & General Procedures

Effective August 1, 2021

TAA participants who apply and meet certain eligibility criteria may qualify to receive TAA-funded training services. The goal of TAA-funded training is to help TAA participants obtain the knowledge and skills needed to gain suitable employment as quickly and economically as possible.¹ TAA is able to fund several types of training programs including, but not limited to, remedial education, classroom training, work-based training, and, in some cases, advanced degrees.² Each TAA participant may receive only one training plan per certified petition;³ however, a single training plan may include multiple components, including multiple types of training (e.g. classroom training followed by on-the-job training) or multiple certifications offered through one or more training providers. Once a participant is approved for the training benefit TAA will fund tuition, fees, textbooks, supplies, and materials required to participate in the training program. TAA participants who are in an approved training program may also be eligible for Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) benefits, supplemental assistance including transportation and subsistence reimbursements, and the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC).

Additionally, a TAA participant's eligibility for the training benefit does not expire provided U.S. Congress continues to fund the TAA program.⁴

7.6.1.1 General Procedures

TAA Career Planners must complete the following procedures for all participants who are interested in attending a TAA-funded training program:

Assessment

TAA participants who are interested in training services must receive an initial assessment and must be offered a comprehensive and specialized assessment.⁵ These assessments may be provided directly by the TAA Career Planner or in partnership with another one-stop delivery system program.⁶ At minimum, the assessment provided must evaluate whether the TAA participant meets the six criteria to establish training eligibility. The results of the assessment(s) must also support the training program of choice before an application for training is approved. Assessment results, including participants' career goals, must be documented in an Individualized Employment Plan (IEP).⁷ The TAA participant may opt out of the assessment process;⁸ in this case the TAA Career Planner must ensure that all information necessary for determining the participant's eligibility for training is collected and documented in the Individualized Employment Plan (IEP) or elsewhere in the participant's file.⁹

Individualized Employment Plan (IEP)

TAA career planners must work with each participant interested in training to develop an Individualized Employment Plan (IEP) that targets a specific, in-demand occupation to achieve their selected employment goal.¹⁰ The IEP must be based on the results of any assessment(s) completed¹¹ and must include:¹²

• the participant's employment goal, including the targeted occupation and industry;
• the proposed training program;
• any services planned to help the participant achieve their goals, including those offered/provided by one-stop system partners;
• any TAA-funded supplemental assistance services required for participation in training, and the basis for their calculation; and
• the worker's responsibilities under the plan.

IEPs developed by one-stop delivery system partner programs may be used to satisfy this requirement and may be modified in consultation with partner program staff, or supplemented by the TAA Career Planner, to satisfy TAA requirements.¹³

Application

The TAA participant must apply for TAA training benefits by completing and signing form TRA-16679-E and submitting it to their assigned TAA career planner. The TAA career planner will verify the completeness and accuracy of the form, complete the Justification for Training and Approval/Denial of Training Benefits portions of the form, and sign the form to finalize. Certain training plans may require approval by TAA Central Office staff . Once both participant and career planner sections of the form are completed, and any other necessary approvals are granted, the form must be submitted to the Unemployment Insurance Division's (UI) TRA Coordinator to receive an official determination.

Determination

Upon receipt of form TRA-16679-E the TRA Coordinator will review and issue an official determination of approval or denial for the training benefit.¹⁴ If approved, the participant and career planner can proceed with executing the agreed upon training plan.

Each official determination letter will include information about the DWD-UI appeals process, which applies to TAA benefit determinations. If denied, the participant may appeal the decision by following this process. The career planner must continue to work with the participant during and after the appeal process to retain benefit eligibility through the training waiver process, assist with modification of the training plan to make it approvable, and/or explore other appropriate TAA benefit options.

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• ¹ 20 CFR 618.600
• ² 20 CFR 618.620(b)
• ³ 20 CFR 618.615(a)
• ⁴ 20 CFR 618.605(e)
• ⁵ 20 CFR 618.605(a)
• ⁶ 20 CFR 618.330(e)
• ⁷ 20 CFR 618.605(a)
• ⁸ 20 CFR 618.330(f)
• ⁹ 20 CFR 618.605(a)
• ¹⁰ 20 CFR 618.350(a)(2)
• ¹¹ 20 CFR 618.350(b)
• ¹² 20 CFR 618.350(c)(1-5)
• ¹³ 20 CFR 618.350(d)
• ¹⁴ 20 CFR 618.605(d); 20 CFR 618.820(b)