Eligible Participants to be Served

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Eligible Participants
​The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) authorizes employment and training services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth through formula grants administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) to states.  States may use a portion of these funds to carry out any of the statewide employment and training activities such as implementing innovative programs and strategies designed to meet the needs of all employers (including small employers) in the State and developing strategies for effectively serving individuals with barriers to employment.
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WIOA Participant Programs

Program Purpose

  • To increase the employment, job retention, earnings, and career advancement of U.S. workers by providing quality employment and training services to assist eligible individuals in finding and qualifying for meaningful employment, and to help employers find the skilled workers they need to compete and succeed in business.
Target Population

  • Low Income Individuals;
  • Basic Skills Deficient Individuals;
  • Public Assistance Recipients;
  • Veterans

Dislocated Worker

Program Purpose

  • To provide quality employment and training services to assist workers who have been laid off or have been notified that they will be terminated or laid off in finding and qualifying for meaningful employment, and to help employers find the skilled workers they need to compete and succeed in business.

Target Population

  • Individuals who have been terminated or laid off through no fault of their own;
  • Separating service members;
  • Individuals who are displaced homemakers;
  • Individuals who are military spouses of active duty service members and who meet certain criteria.
Youth
Program Purpose

  • To assist out-of-school youth and in-school youth with one or more barriers to employment prepare for post-secondary education and employment opportunities, attain educational and/or skills training credentials, and secure employment with career/promotional opportunities.

Target Population

  • Out-of-school youth (OSY) who is: not attending school, age 16-24, and has one or more barriers to employment;
  • In-school youth (ISY) who is: attending school, age 14-21, is low income and has one or more barriers to employment.

Incumbent Workers

Program Purpose

  • Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) under WIOA provides both workers and employers with the opportunity to build and maintain a quality workforce and increase both participants' and companies' competitiveness.  It is a type of work-based training and upskilling designed to ensure that employees of a company can acquire the skills necessary to retain employment and advance within the company, or to acquire the skills necessary to avert a layoff. There is an employer matching requirement.

Target Population

  • Incumbent worker training is responsive to the special requirements of an employer or a group of employers in partnership with other entities for the purposes of delivering training to help avert potential layoffs of employees or increase the skill levels of employees, so they can be promoted within the company and create backfill opportunities for the employers. 
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WIOA Participant Eligibility
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​Fund
Age & Other​
Work Status​
Selective Service​Low Income​
​WIOA Adult

18 years or older

Customer is requesting individualized services.


Authorized to work in U.S.
​If male, registered as required.
​A. Family income at or below 100% of poverty line or 70% lower living standard (Priority) or 200% of poverty line (Beyond Priority)

A. Meets one of the following criteria

1.  Customer receives or is a member of a family that receives (currently or in the past six months) one of the following

a) TANF, or

b) SNAP, or

c) SSI, or

d) Other public assistance; or

2.  Foster Child; or

3.  Homeless; or

4.  Receives or is eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch; or

B. Deficient in Basic Skills

 

Note: Individual with a disability must be considered family of one for income determination purposes, if family income exceeds 200% of poverty and 1-4 above do not apply.

WIOA Dislocated Worker​​

There is no age limit.

Customer is requesting individualized services.


​Authorized to work in U.S., and

1. Terminated or laid off, eligible for or exhausted UI and unlikely to return to industry or occupation; or

2. Lost job from permanent closure or substantial layoff of a plant, facility or enterprise; or

3. Was self-employed and now unemployed because of economic conditions or natural disaster; or

4. Displaced Homemaker; or Spouse of a member of Armed Forces who lost employment due to permanent change in duty station or is unemployed, underemployed and has difficulty finding or upgrading employment.

If male, registered as required.​
Income test not required for eligibility or service​.

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​Fund
Age & Other​Work Status​
Selective Service​Low Income​
​WIOA In-School Youth
​A.14-21 years old and

B. Attending compulsory school and

C. Low-Income and

D. At least one of the following apply:

1. Deficient in Basic Literacy Skills; or

2. Homeless, Runaway; or

3. In foster care or aged out of foster care; or

4. Pregnant/Parenting; or

5. Offender; or

6. Has a disability; or

7. An English language learner.

Authorized to work in U.S.​
​If male, registered as required.
​A. Family income at or below 100% of poverty line or 70% lower living standard; or

B. Meets one of the following criteria:

1. Customer receives or is a member of a family that receives (currently or in the past six months) one of the following:

a) TANF, or

b) SNAP, or

c)  SSI, or

d) Other public assistance; or

2. Foster Child; or

3. Homeless; or

4. Receives or is eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch; or

5. Lives in a high poverty census tract.

Note: Individual with a disability must be considered family of one for income determination purposes if family income exceeds youth income criteria and 1-5 above do not apply.

WIOA Out-of-School Youth​

A. 16-24 years old and

B. Not attending compulsory school and

C. At least one of the following apply

1. School Dropout; or

2. Youth who (a) received HS Diploma/equivalent and (b) is low-income and (c) is Deficient in Basic Literacy Skills or is an English language learner; or

3.  Required to attend school but has not attended for at least the most recent complete school year's calendar quarter'; or

4. Homeless or Runaway: or

5. In foster care or aged out of foster care; or

6. Pregnant/Parenting; or

7. Subject to the juvenile or adult justice system; or

8. Has a disability; or

Requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment (must also meet low income requirements)

​Authorized to work in U.S.​
​If male, registered as required.
​Low income required only if using C. 2. or C. 9. from "Age & Other" column


A. Family income at or below 100% of poverty line or 70% lower living standard or

B. Meets one of the following criteria:

1. Customer receives or is a member of a family that receives (currently or in the past six months) one of the following:

a) TANF, or

b) SNAP, or

c) SSI, or

d) Other public assistance; or

2. Foster Child; or

3. Homeless; or

4. Receives or is eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch; or

5. Lives in a high poverty census tract.

Note: Individual with a disability must be considered family of one for income determination purposes if family income exceeds youth income criteria and 1-5 above do not apply.


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Eligibility Webcasts

In-School Youth Eligibility

Out-of-School Youth Eligibility

Definition of School and School Status Timing

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Participant Training Programs
​All participant training programs must be provided by an Eligible Training Provider that will lead to an employment related placement. All participant training programs must be certified and include a target occupation(s) from the current Demand Occupation Training List. Successful proposals will identify the industry recognized credential(s) that will result from the training. If the training does not lead to an industry recognized credential, the applicant must provide a description of how the training will lead to unsubsidized employment or post-secondary education. Applicants are alo encouraged to expand career pathway opportunities through accelerated training and work-based learning. The requirements for Eligible Training Providers and industry recognized credentials do not apply to on-the-job training or incumbent worker training.