Determining whether youth are eligible to participate in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth program involves multiple factors including age, school status, barriers to employment, and others. The resources on this page will help youth program practitioners, workforce development boards, partner organizations, and others better understand the eligibility requirements for the youth program.

If you are new to the WIOA youth program, or would like to refresh your understanding of the eligibility requirements:

  • Read the WIOA Youth Program Fact Sheet for an overview of the youth program, including the definitions of eligibility for out-of-school and in-school youth.
  • Read this Desk Reference that provides brief information on youth eligibility requirements for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
  • Watch this series of short webcasts that provides an overview of eligibility requirements for the youth program:

              - Out-of-School Youth Eligibility
              - In-School Youth Eligibility
              - Definition of School and School Status Timing

To deepen your knowledge of program eligibility, and see how the eligibility requirements are applied in real-life scenarios, take each of these interactive tutorials:

Looking for U.S. Department of Labor guidance on WIOA Youth program eligibility?