How does WIOA work in Memphis?
WIOA in Memphis runs through Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board. The Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board (once called Workforce Mid-South) covers Shelby, Fayette, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties and runs the region's American Job Centers under the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (American Job Center Tennessee) runs the state program, the Jobs4TN site, and the statewide Eligible Training Provider List. Reference: greatermemworkforce.com.
The path is this. Sign up on Jobs4TN. Visit an American Job Center. Finish the eligibility check and an assessment. Pick a program from the Tennessee ETPL. Then you get an Individual Training Account paid to the school directly. The Tennessee guide covers the statewide rules. This page covers Memphis.
Where do you go: American Job Center locations
The board runs American Job Center locations in Memphis and Shelby County plus affiliate sites in the outlying counties, with intake, assessment, workshops, and training referrals at each. Confirm current locations and hours on greatermemworkforce.com.
Out-of-school youth 16 to 24 are served through youth providers the board funds, rather than adult intake.
Who qualifies in Memphis?
- Adult program: 18 or older, able to work legally, and signed up for Selective Service if that applies to you. Training money goes first to people on public assistance, people with low income, and people who need basic skills. Veterans and eligible spouses go ahead of others in every program.
- Dislocated Worker program: laid off or given notice, on unemployment or ran out of it, WARN-affected workers, displaced homemakers, and formerly self-employed workers. Distribution, manufacturing, and call-center layoffs make the Dislocated Worker door a busy one in Memphis.
- Youth program: 14 to 24 with at least one barrier to work. Most of the money goes to out-of-school youth 16 to 24.
How do you apply for WIOA in Memphis?
- Make your Jobs4TN account at www.jobs4tn.gov. It is the statewide job site and the front door to WIOA intake.
- Visit an American Job Center or attend the orientation. Confirm the schedule on greatermemworkforce.com.
- Finish the eligibility check. Bring photo ID, your Social Security card, proof you can work, and income or layoff papers. Veterans bring the DD-214.
- Finish the assessment and the employment plan. Required before a training account is approved.
- Pick a program from the Tennessee ETPL. Tennessee's ETPL is searched inside Jobs4TN and with your counselor, weighted toward TCAT programs and regional in-demand lists.
- Get the Individual Training Account. Paid to the school directly. Commonly three to eight weeks from first appointment to a funded seat.
What does WIOA pay for in Memphis?
- Transportation, distribution, and logistics: CDL Class A and B, forklift, diesel technology, and warehouse credentials around the FedEx hub, the rail yards, and the river port.
- Healthcare: CNA, medical assistant, phlebotomy, EKG, LPN, and billing and coding around Methodist Le Bonheur, Baptist, and St. Jude.
- Advanced manufacturing: industrial maintenance, welding, and mechatronics certificates at TCAT Memphis and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
- Information technology: help desk, CompTIA, and cybersecurity certifications.
No statewide cap; each of the nine areas sets its own. Ask your counselor for the area cap and whether funds remain this program year. Check any exact program against the current Tennessee ETPL with your counselor before enrolling. In-demand lists change yearly.
Where does Workforce Pell stand in Memphis?
Tennessee is taking program applications for Workforce Pell, per our state tracker. See the state tracker for the current status. A reader in Memphis looking at short training should ask the school whether its program has been submitted. WIOA stays fully working in the meantime. The Workforce Pell application guide explains the two-layer process.