Student Grants Center
Worker Retraining
Program Overview
Worker Retraining is a state-funded program that provides job-related training and employment services to dislocated, vulnerable, and unemployed workers to help them gain additional training in their field or to get started on a new career.
Get Started
If you want to see if you are eligible for the Worker Retraining program at WVC, please fill out our Interest Survey using the link below and a staff member will contact you.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for Worker Retraining if:
- You are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at Wenatchee Valley College (see below for a list of eligible programs)
- You are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress according to WVC Financial Aid policies
- At least one of the following criteria applies to you:
- You are currently receiving unemployment benefits.
- You previously received unemployment benefits within the past 48 months, and have since taken a temporary job.
- You have exhausted a claim for unemployment benefits within the past 48 months and are still unemployed.
- You are formerly self-employed and had to close your business due to general economic conditions.
- You have been discharged from the United States Armed Forces within the past 48 months.
- You were previously dependent on the income of a spouse or family member, and that income is no longer available to you due to layoff, death, divorce, separation, or another documented change in domestic circumstances.
- You are in danger of losing your current employment if you do not gain additional training or certifications.
Program Benefits
- Limited financial assistance for tuition, fees, books, and required supplies.
- Emergency financial assistance for transportation. childcare, and/or training completion.
- Assistance with navigating college processes and services.
- Referrals to other agencies, programs and sources of funding.
- Assistance with forms for Commissioner-Approved Training and Training Benefits (See "Unemployment Benefits Information for Students" below for more information)
All Associate in Applied Science degrees, Bachelor of Applied Science degrees, Transitional Studies programs, and certificates at Wenatchee Valley College are eligible for Worker Retraining. Worker Retraining can also support prerequisites, foundational courses, or other required related courses for any eligible degree or certificate.
Certain non-credit courses offered through WVC Continuing Education may also be eligible for Worker Retraining, provided that the course results in an industry-recognized credential and prepares the student for a high-demand field.
Most transfer degrees are not eligible for Worker Retraining, with the exception of Associate in Applied Science Transfer degrees and the Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP.
Eligible Programs
- Accounting
- Addiction Studies
- Adult Basic Education
- Aerospace Pathway Readiness
- Agriculture
- American Sign Language
- Automotive Technology
- Behavioral Health BAS
- Business AAS and certificates
- Business Computer Technology
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Computer Technology Systems
- Criminal Justice
- Digital Design
- Drafting Technology
- Early Childhood Education
- Emergency Medical Technician
- English Language Acquisition (ELA)
- Environmental Systems and Refrigeration Technology (ESRT)
- High School+
- Industrial Electronics
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Multi-Occupational Trades
- Nursing RN-BSN
- Nursing LPN-BSN
- Nursing DTA/MRP
- Pharmacy Technician
- Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP
- Radiologic Technology
- Welding and Fabrication
To view or print information about your unemployment benefits claim, visit the Employment Security Department website and log in using your SecureAccess Washington account.
If you are currently receiving unemployment benefits, you will need approval from the Employment Security Department to attend Wenatchee Valley College while collecting benefits.
Commissioner-Approved Training (CAT) allows you to continue to collect unemployment benefits while attending an approved full-time training program. If you are approved for CAT, you do not need to look for work while receiving benefits.
Training Benefits (TB) allows you to receive additional weeks of unemployment benefits while you are attending an approved training program. If you are approved for Training Benefits, you do not need to look for work while receiving benefits as long as you are making progress in your training.
WorkSource offers a virtual orientation workshop for CAT and TB. Visit your local WorkSource office or click the link for more information.
Please contact our department at StudentGrantsCenter@wvc.edu with any questions about the Worker Retraining program.