So you have finally decided it is time you go back to school. Your career in the automotive industry, secretarial industry or “insert your industry” is saturated with overqualified workers and you are tired of competing for jobs that don’t exist. Retraining is often the only realistic option for workers whose marketable skills are no longer in demand. This series of articles (click here for the first article) focuses on the practical steps you need to take to qualify for Washington State Training Benefits.

First, let us remember what this program offers, and what it doesn’t. This program will not pay for your tuition, schooling transport and other related costs.. You will have to do that, but we will give you some tips on how to finance that later. What this program will do is allow you to study for an approved training course while you receive unemployment benefits. This means you will not have to search for work, attend interviews and accept employment offers while you are enrolled and making progress in an approved training program. Notice that if you aren’t enrolled in the Training Benefits program you will have to search for work and accept any job that pays more than your current weekly benefit amount, which will make studying for a new career much more challenging. However, it is also worth noting that your unemployment benefits could run out before you finish your training program which could jeopardize your chances of finishing the program.

With that caveat behind us, let us continue with the basic steps you need to take to enroll in a course under the Training Benefits program.

Apply for the program before the deadline.

You have a 90-day deadline to apply for the Training Benefits program and 120 days to enroll in a training program from the moment you receive an unemployment claims kit.

Choose an approved training program.

A suitable training program must meet the following requirements:

1) It must be a full-time education program. However, if you have a type of disability that does not allow you to work full-time you may qualify for part-time courses.

2) Must be a course provided by a member of the Washington State Eligible Training Provide List. Click here for a searchable list of providers.

3) Provides the necessary training to enter into a high-demand industry.

4) Its main purpose is not to complete a bachelor’s or mater’s degree.

If your program meets these requirements, you are on your way to getting the training you need. However, you still need to settle the small issue of finances. Our next article will discuss what you can do to find the financial aid you need to get back to school.

Unfortunately, unemployment insurance benefits, UI payments, are not available to all unemployed workers. To qualify you must meet certain requirements set by both the federal and state authorities. The agency responsible of enforcing these requirements in Washington State is the Washington Employment Security Department.

This article will discuss the basic requirements you must meet to qualify for unemployment benefits and provide links to official websites which provide useful information on this subject. Whether you are unemployed or not, it is important to understand what these requirements are. Sadly, some workers accept to leave their jobs with the understanding they will receive unemployment compensation only to realize their mistake when there is little they can do to qualify.

For instance, if you say the reason for leaving your place of employment is you are quitting for personal reasons, you will more than likely not qualify for unemployment benefits, regardless of how long you have been working for the company and how much your employer has contributed towards unemployment insurance. Also, if you are related to the owners of the company, or you yourself have a share in the ownership of the company, your unemployment benefits may be reduced significantly. This series of two articles will provide more information on Washington’s Employment Security Department and how the requirements and rules that govern it may affect your chances of receiving unemployment compensation.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Our next article will provide some more details on this subject, but here are the four main requirements for UI applicants in Washington.

1) You must have lost your job out of no fault of your own. As mentioned above, you are unlikely to be accepted for unemployment benefits if you quit your job voluntarily. Also, if you are sacked due to negligence or gross negligence, your application could be denied. However, what your employer constitutes as negligence or gross negligence may not be what the Employment Security Department considers negligence. For instance, if you are late for work on repeated occasions, your boss could sack you. However, if you have a good reason, like a sick child or lack of transport, the ESD may consider it was beyond your control and still find you eligible.

2) You must have worked a minimum of 680 hours for a registered employer during your base year period. Your base period includes the first four quarters from the last five quarters since you applied for unemployment benefits.

3) You must have worked in the State of Washington. If you are now a resident in Washington but worked in another state, you should file an interstate claim with the state where your worked.

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