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"Everyone can afford to give away a
smile."
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WORK FORCE
INVESTMENT ACT FUNDS
For Furloughed/Displaced Aviation Workers
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The Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) provides funds to help displaced workers
obtain the necessary training to find work. It is a federally
funded program but each individual state is allowed to choose how
they distribute the money. Each state has a list of “approved”
courses & schools. The types of training vary from state to state,
& the amount of money they give to each individual also varies
from state to state. Some states have a $2500 limit & others have
paid up to $18,400 for an A300 type rating.
- Do not wait until after you
are furloughed to find out what is available to you. In
Pennsylvania, many people were approved for funds 3 weeks before
they were furloughed & started B737 type rating training shortly
after their furlough date.
- As pilots & dispatchers, we
work for a company headquartered in 1 state; are based in
another state (or have been based in more than 1 state in the
past year); & live in another state. Depending on what state
your employer paid your unemployment insurance, you may be
eligible for funds from any or all of those states.
- Visit or call the unemployment
office. Explain your situation. Ask to speak with someone who
can tell you what type of training the WIA funds will cover. The
first person you speak with is quite often misinformed or knows
little about WIA. The most common response to your questions is
“No” when they don’t know the answer. If you don’t like the
response you get, ask to speak to a supervisor, or visit another
unemployment office. Once you get the individual in charge of
WIA funding, be prepared to convince him that you NEED this
training to get a job. (AGS can provide a copy of a current
publication proving jobs are available nationwide for
dispatchers and pilots, or look at our dispatcher job listings on our home
page).
- If you do not get the results
you want from the bureaucrats, try calling the school you wish
to attend. If the school is WIA-approved by your state, they may
be able to give you some insider tips on how to get funding. 1
person was denied funding by a state that had given funds to
other applicants for the same training. The school was able to
intercede on his behalf with the state & assist in securing
train- ing funds.
- If the school is not on the
approved list in your state, the school can apply for approval.
Airline Ground Schools will make application immediately
via the internet to your state requesting approval if you are
interested in Dispatcher or Pilot training. Each state, unfortunately,
handles WIA funding & a school must apply to every state which
is time-consuming. AGS is currently approved in KY, OH, CO, &
our application is pending in CA.
Securing WIA Funds From Individual States
**To look up WIA contact and procedural information please visit
the
Department of Labor's WIA website**
*If you have any insight on local procedures, please email us at:
agsdanny@aol.com
 | N. CAROLINA – Charlotte Mecklenburg County
Complete the forms; attend a 3 hour class; & then you are
assigned a counselor
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| FLORIDA – WorkForceOne in Broward County
Speak with a counselor to determine eligibility for retraining.
Show you can get employment if awarded funding. Max award
$4000. You must show how you will pay for the difference in
training costs if it is more than $4000.
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| MASSACHUSETTS – Haverhill Office
A pilot was successful in getting funds from this office.
Career Center in Attleboro – Contact Anne Marie Gonet,
508-222-1950
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| NEW YORK – Dept. of Occupational Resources
50 Clinton St., Hempstead, NY 11550, 516-485-5000
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| NORTH CAROLINA – Sheila Hemhill,
704-342-6131 ext. 334
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| VIRGINIA – Falls Church Skill Source
Center
6245 Leesburg Pike, Suite 315, Falls Church, VA 22044
Contact James Doe, 703-533-5474, or Barbara at 533-5471 for
appointment
Eligible if based at DCA, IAD, or BWI on 9/11
Must have applied for unemployment first.
Need documentation you are displaced & lost your job due to
9/11.
1 hour career evaluation / aptitude test.
If you qualify (they usually know before you set up an
appointment), they mail the check directly
to the school.
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