New training providers, except for Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), must apply for Initial Eligibility in accordance with the following guidance:

1. Applications for Initial Eligibility of Training Providers and Training Programs:
   1. Applications for initial eligibility must be submitted according to the geographical location of the training program. The LWIA should instruct the training provider as to where they should apply for each training program, as follows:
      1. Training programs located in a single LWIA must initially apply with the LWIA where its program is geographically located.
      2. Training programs offered in multiple LWIAs and identical across each of the LWIAs must initially apply to the LWIA in which the training provider has identified as its headquarters and/or primary location.
      3. Training programs offered in multiple LWIAs - but the program is not substantially the same across the various LWIAs - must initially apply to each LWIA in which the training program is offered.
      4. Training programs located out-of-state or not offered at a physical location (e.g., distance learning) must initially apply to the LWIA from which it anticipates receiving the most students.
   2. A training provider is prohibited from applying for training program eligibility in LWIAs where the program site is not geographically located, unless the LWIA in which the program is located denies eligibility or fails to act on the application within thirty (30) days of the date of application.
2. General Eligibility - LWIBs must verify that all training programs (except those programs of out-of-state training providers) for which a training provider is seeking eligibility have met the following guidelines:
   1. The training provider has gathered all of the mandatory information found in the Requirements for Training Program Initial Eligibility and Continued Eligibility attachment (see the Attachments tab) and the information has been entered in the Illinois Workforce Development System (IWDS).
      1. Once the LWIA has verified eligibility of a training provider, they must set up a Training Provider record in IWDS as outlined in the Requirements for Training Program Initial Eligibility and Continued Eligibility attachment. See the Attachments tab.
      2. After the LWIA has entered the training provider in IWDS, the LWIA must supply the training provider with the following:
         1. The user ID for the primary contact that is generated by IWDS to be used by the training provider when they log into the system to request eligibility of training programs or need to update information on a training program;
         2. The temporary password for the primary contact that is generated by IWDS to be used by the training provider to log into the system the first time (the primary contact for the training provider should then change the password to a personally selected unique password); and
         3. The web address to the IWDS system that will direct the training provider to the appropriate system screen. (See the References tab).
      3. The training provider should begin adding training programs in IWDS to be determined eligible and add contacts for each training program.
   2. The specific training provider and training program performance data, as outlined in the Performance Measures for Eligible Training Providers section of this policy, has been provided when available.
   3. The training provider has provided all other information required by the LWIA for which it is seeking eligibility.
      1. LWIBs reserve the right to impose additional criteria through local policy that is unique to conditions within a particular LWIA so long as they meet, at a minimum, federal and state requirements.
      2. Conditions that should be considered include economic, geographic and demographic conditions in the area and characteristics of the population served by the provider may be considered.
   4. The training provider’s program is intended to lead to placement in a Demand Occupation as identified on the Demand Occupation Training List (DOTL) found in the attached WIOA Notice on Demand Occupation Training List.
   5. The training provider has provided the following assurances that it will comply fully with all non-discrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the laws listed below:
      1. WIOA Section 188, which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIOA Title I financially-assisted program or activity;
      2. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin;
      3. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities;
      4. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which prohibits discrimination against qualified people with disabilities;
      5. The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age;
      6. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs;
      7. 29 CFR Part 37 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above; and
      8. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIOA Title I financially-assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIOA Title I financially- assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.
   6. The LWIB has assured that the training provider has provided:
      1. All of the information required above;
      2. Any additional information provided by the training provider; and
      3. Any additional information requested by the LWIB.
   7. An agreement between all parties involved, including the training provider and local area(s), on provisions for monitoring in accordance with the Monitoring and Oversight of Eligible Training Providers section of this policy.
      1. If the program occurs in another local area, arrangements must be made to ensure either the local area determining eligibility of the program or the local area in which the program is provided (or both) will conduct monitoring.
      2. If the program occurs in another state, arrangements should be made to ensure monitoring will be conducted by the state in which the training is determined eligible or provided.
         1. Local areas should make every effort to ensure adequate monitoring is provided by the out-of-state local area; and
         2. Local areas should limit the amount of travel necessary to conduct out-of-state monitoring; and
   8. The LWIB has reviewed the information and approved it as an eligible training program to add to the Eligible Training Provider List in IWDS.
3. Eligibility Timeline
   1. The LWIB must determine a program is eligible within thirty (30) days of the application to the LWIA.
      1. One exception to this requirement may exist if the LWIB has provided authority to the LWIA to allow a committee of no less than two (2) individuals to conditionally approve programs in lieu of waiting for the LWIB determination of eligibility.
         1. Where this exception has been granted, the program may be deemed eligible until such time as the LWIB can review and approve the determination of eligibility.
         2. Conditionally approved programs must complete the application process as outlined in Section 1. above.
   2. If the LWIB (or committee designated by the LWIB) fails to make a determination (or denies eligibility) of the program within thirty (30) days of the application to the LWIA, the following actions will occur:
      1. The program is placed in a "capture list" in IWDS unless it was denied "for cause".
      2. Training programs that are placed on the capture list are available for one hundred twenty (120) days to be selected by another LWIA and determined eligible by their LWIB. Once the one hundred twenty (120) day period passes, the training program will be removed from the capture list.
      3. Training programs that did not meet the state performance criteria (as outlined in the Performance Measures for Eligible Training Providers section of this policy) or were denied "for cause" will not be placed on the "capture list" and cannot be determined eligible as an approved training program for a period of two (2) years.
      4. The LWIA should notify the training provider that if a program does not meet all of the mandatory criteria for initial eligibility or is not accepted by the LWIB within thirty (30) days for some other reason, the training provider can:
         1. Appeal its acceptance status in accordance with Reinstatement on the Statewide List and if accepted, the program will be registered in IWDS and given full eligibility status, as long as the application process has been completed; or
         2. Wait thirty (30) days from denial of acceptance by the LWIB and reapply with another LWIA.
4. Initial Eligibility Date
   1. Once a training program has been determined eligible, the LWIA must enter the date the LWIB approved the program in the "Eligibility/Certification Date" field of the Training Program Basic Information screen in IWDS.
   2. The LWIA must also enter the date for continued eligibility of the training program in the "Next Elig./Cert. Date" field of the same screen. (Note:  If the LWIA fails to enter a date in this field, the system will automatically generate a date that is one year from the eligibility/certification date.)
      1. The next eligibility (next certification) date must be within one (1) year of the initial eligibility date.
      2. The next eligibility date (next certification) may be selected based on local or training provider needs and agreements. For example:
         1. The LWIA would like to coordinate training program continued eligibility dates so that they have them coincide with regularly scheduled LWIB meetings;
         2. An LWIB may instruct the LWIA to select continued eligibility dates that are distributed throughout the year so as to allow local boards to spread out their eligibility determination workload, thus avoiding the potential bottleneck of review and approval actions once per year; or
         3. A training provider may wish to have all or some of their training program determinations of continued eligibility as a group to streamline the process