Who qualifies
- Adults: age 18 or older (20 CFR 680.120).
- Dislocated workers: people who lost a job through layoff, plant closure or similar events, as defined in WIOA (20 CFR 680.130).
- Youth: out-of-school youth are ages 16 to 24 at enrollment, with at least one barrier such as having dropped out of school (20 CFR 681.210).
To get training paid, a center must also find, after an interview or assessment, that you are unlikely to get a job that leads to self-sufficiency without it, that you can complete the program, and that you cannot get enough grant aid such as a Pell Grant (20 CFR 680.210).
Step by step
- Visit an American Job Center and register for services.
- Complete an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning (20 CFR 680.220).
- Choose a program from your state's eligible training provider list, which shows each provider's cost and performance (20 CFR 680.340).
- The center opens an Individual Training Account and pays the provider (20 CFR 680.300).
- Unless funds for the program year have run out, the center must refer you to the provider you chose (20 CFR 680.340).
Centers that list training
95 offices in our directory confirm training or WIOA services in their official listing, for example:
- Mobile Career Center, Mobile, AL
- East Valley America’s Job Center of California, San Bernardino, CA
- Alternative Schools Network (Main Office), Chicago, IL
- JobNet Career Center, Madisonville, KY
- PA CareerLink — Armstrong County, Kittanning, PA
- Providence American Job Center, Providence, RI
- American Job Center — Putnam County — Cookeville, Cookeville, TN
Not listed does not mean not offered: most centers can refer you even if their listing does not itemize training.
Frequently asked questions
Is WIOA training free?
If you are found eligible, WIOA pays the training provider through an Individual Training Account, so you do not pay that cost. Funds are limited and centers must first check other grants such as Pell Grants.
Who qualifies for WIOA?
Adults 18 and older, dislocated workers who lost a job through layoffs or closures, and young people 16 to 24 under the youth program. Training also requires an assessment showing you need it to get a good job.
Can I pick any school?
You choose from your state list of eligible training providers, after talking with a career planner. The program should lead to jobs in demand in your area.
Sources
20 CFR 680.120, adult eligibility. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 680.130, dislocated worker eligibility. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 680.210, who may receive training services. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 680.220, services before training. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 680.300, Individual Training Accounts. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 680.340, consumer choice and eligible training providers. Checked October 30, 2026.
20 CFR 681.210, out-of-school youth. Checked October 30, 2026.
CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor): American Job Centers. Checked October 30, 2026.
State figures: each state's official unemployment agency, linked on its state page.