Eligible Training Providers

WIOA requires Boards to target high-growth, high-demand and emerging occupations. This requirement is specific to each workforce area. To be on the Statewide ETPL, ETPs must align with an occupation included on the state’s Target Occupations List. This requirement does not include Registered Apprenticeships. Each Board maintains its own list of local target occupations. The statewide list includes occupations approved by one or more Boards. 

Generally, for WIOA-eligible students to receive training funds for a program besides Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), that program must be one of the following:

• On the Board’s target occupations list
• On such a list in an area that the student is willing to commute to or move to

They manage the application process for training providers in their Board area, provide guidance on program eligibility and help with submitting program information, and handle updates for existing ETPs.

Contact information is on the ETP Coordinator List.

To be considered eligible for the Statewide ETPL, a training provider must meet the following criteria.

Provider Qualifications

The provider must be one of the following:

• An institution of higher education offering a program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential
• RAP approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
• A public or private training provider, including community-based organizations, joint labor-management organizations, and providers of Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) activities under WIOA Title II, provided that AEL educational services are offered concurrently or in combination with occupational skills training, on-the-job training, incumbent worker training, or other training authorized under WIOA §680.350

Regulatory Compliance

The provider must be appropriately licensed, regulated, or accredited, or exempt from regulation under the Education Code Chapter 132. Career Schools and Colleges with authorization to operate in Texas.

Program Alignment and Employer Partnership

Training programs submitted to the ETPL must meet the following requirements:

• Target Occupation Alignment—Programs must align with one or more occupations included on the current statewide target occupations list maintained by TWC.
• Employer Partnership—Providers must demonstrate a partnership with Texas businesses by submitting one of the following:
  • A letter of support from a Texas employer
  • Evidence of an employer-based advisory committee 

To begin the ETPL application process, providers must submit the following information to the appropriate Board:

• Legal name of the provider
• Campus location(s)
• Program details
• Training with in-demand occupations
• Documentation showing employer partnership, by providing either:
  • a letter of support from an employer in Texas; or 
  • evidence of an employer-based advisory committee 

The Board to which the information should be submitted is determined by the provider’s primary campus location (based on postal code). The Board directory is available in the Eligible Training Provider Coordinators section above. 

Local Workforce Development Board Review 

The Board will review the information submitted by the provider and determine eligibility in accordance with Chapter 840 Eligible Training Providers.

After reviewing the provider’s initial information, the Board will determine whether the provider is eligible. If the provider is not eligible, the Board will request the provider to submit updated or additional information as needed to make a final eligibility determination.

If the provider is eligible, Board staff will:

• create a profile for the provider in the EDvera system; and
• send an invitation granting the provider user access.

Once the provider receives the invitation, they must log into EDvera and complete the following:

• The Initial Training Provider Application
• The Program Details Form for each program being submitted to the ETPL
• The Initial Student Data Report (ISDR) for each program

Initial Student Data Report 

Providers must submit program and student information as required by the following TWC ETP Reporting Requirements:

• New training programs that have never enrolled students may not be required to submit all data points initially.
• To be listed on the Statewide ETPL, WIOA requires all ETPs to provide verifiable performance data for all students in their programs.
• Reported performance must meet the performance standards outlined in WD 05-19, Change 2.
• For new programs, submission of ISDRs is required before they can be on the Statewide ETPL.

Registered Apprenticeship is a special job training program run by businesses. Apprentices get paid while they learn on the job and gain valuable work experience. This provides immediate access to employment at sustainable wages and advancement along a career path.

These programs undergo the DOL’s application and vetting process. Boards must consider all RAPs on the Statewide ETPL to be connected to local target occupations. Sponsors (providers) of RAPs should contact TWC’s ETP help desk to ask to be included on the Statewide ETPL. TWC requires the following information: 

• Name and address of RAP sponsor (provider)
• Name and address of instruction site (if different from sponsor)
• Method and duration of instruction
• Occupations included in the RAP
• Number of apprentices
• Cost of instruction
• RAPs are on the Statewide ETPL—and available to students throughout Texas—until the sponsor requests removal or the program is no longer DOL-approved.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that keeps students’ educational records and information private. FERPA requires schools to get permission from the student or their parent before sharing certain information, such as personally identifiable information, but sometimes there might be specific exceptions.

In 2016, the DOL and the U.S. Department of Education issued joint guidance on FERPA’s “audit and evaluation exception” about WIOA’s ETPs and programs. TWC uses this exception to collect student information for evaluating program performance. They share this info with the public in a combined form, as required by WIOA, on the Statewide ETPL. 

DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 07-16 on August 23, 2016.

The “WIOA Guidelines for Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Youth” is an important document for Boards. It has criteria and documentation sources for establishing WIOA Title I program eligibility for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. The guidelines provide information about who is eligible for training services and also offer general details about other training programs within the WIOA program. 

WIOA Guidelines for Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Youth (Effective August 10, 2023)

Every year, eligible programs must submit a Student Data Report (SDR) to stay on the Statewide ETPL per the following parameters:

• PY’24 Annual Reporting Letter to ETPs (updates in progress)
• Reporting deadlines may extended for programs on a case-by-case basis and approved by TWC.
• Any extensions may be included for programs that have:
  • not been taught to any students; or
  • those providers that experience substantial and unexpected changes related to:
    • natural disasters;
    • unexpected personnel; or
    • technology challenges.
• Student Data Report Template 
  Note: This template is for reference only. Actual reports are distributed to providers with program-specific data included.
• FAQ – Student Data Reports 2019 (updates in progress)
• Student Data Report Submission Guide (updates in progress)
• Statewide ETPL Performance Report