Buffalo Employment and Training Center
77 Goodell Street, Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: 856-JOBS (5627)
Fax: 856-5670
www.workforcebuffalo.org
Welcome to the Buffalo Employment and Training Center, your local certified
Workforce New York Career One Stop Center.
If you have received an application form from the NYS Department of Labor and have
applied for TAA and are awaiting a determination, please come in to use our Center for
your self-directed job search. Contact us as soon as you receive your Determination of
Entitlement to Trade Adjustment Assistance letter for an appointment with one of our
Trade Act Career Counselors.
Please note, whether you are eligible for TAA services or not, all Erie County
residents can use our Center to look for work.
If you have received your Determination of Entitlement to Trade Adjustment
Assistance letter AND have attended one of our orientations, you can be given an
appointment to see one of our Career Counselors. Please note that we need a copy of the
letter or specific information from t before we can set up an appointment. More
information on setting up an appointment will be given t the orientation session, let them
know that you are a TAA/TRA customer or potential customer. The Career Counselor
will then meet with you to discuss your employment options and current job search
efforts. We will also discuss the training enrollment deadline shown on your letter,
options for training or a waiver of training and Basic TRA allowance. The priority for an
appointment will be based on this deadline date, with those customers seeking services
with the closest date getting priory appointments. We will make a copy of the
Determination of Entitlement to Trade Adjustment Assistance letter and give you
back the original. We need this in order to provide you with TAA related services.
Between now and your appointment, we encourage you to use the resources of this
Center to help you find employment. Please attend an orientation session now. It will
help the Career Counselor to serve you better. After the orientation, take some time to
look around and sample the free services available to all job seeking customers.
There are two types of services that we focus on here for TAA individuals at the One
Stop Center. These are Re-employment (Job Search) Services and Training. In order to
ensure that you are referred out to appropriate job openings we offer a variety of
assistance. The first of which is utilization of our Career Resource Center for selfdirected job search. This means that you utilize our facility and where necessary, our staff
to assist you in looking for a new job. Should you be unable to find a new job because
your skills are no longer marketable in this area, we can assist you in identifying other
occupations that can utilize your skills or help you get training in new local marketable
skills. Of course, in order to get training assistance, you will need to show how and where
BETC TAA Welcome – Last Revised 12/20/13
you have been looking for a job. If it is determined that you have made a substantial
effort to find a job and that your lack of success is due to a lack of skills, we will help you
get these skills. It is possible, that it is not your job skills that are holding you back but
that you need better interviewing or job search skills. Our counselors will assess these as
well as other possible reasons for your being unable to get employment and help you.
As stated above, those individuals who can show that they are unable to secure new
employment due to lack of current marketable skills, will be considered for training
assistance. This training assistance includes funds for tuition, fees, books and supplies for
training. Training assistance is available for occupational skills training where:
1. There is no suitable employment for the individual,
2. The training has been determined to lead to employment in a local demand
occupation,
3. The training is provided by an approved provider on the NYS Providers
List
4. Training is no longer than 104 weeks, although an additional 26 weeks can
be approved if it you need help in reading and math, getting a high school
equivalency diploma or help understanding and speaking English.
5. It has been determined that there are sufficient funds to pay for the
training and related costs, that the training cost are reasonable, and you
have adequate income support while in training, so you can complete.
6. Your career counselor has determined that you would qualify for and
benefit from the training and can successfully complete the training and
achieve full time employment.
Clarification of training deadlines for TRA eligibility.
In order to be eligible for the 26 weeks of Basic TRA allowances beyond your
Unemployment Insurance payments, you must be enrolled in approved training or have a
waiver of this requirement. Deadlines are:
 The last day of 8th. week after the week of issuance of the certification of
eligibility letter you received from the NYS Department of Labor.
 Or the last day of the 16th. week after your separation from employment with the
qualifying employer, whichever is later.
Your Determination of Entitlement to Trade Adjustment Assistance provides this
date to you. Be aware of this date. You must be enrolled in approved training or
have an approved waiver from training by this date in order to receive Basic TRA
allowance payments.
We will assist workers in enrolling in an approved training program prior to the 8weeks/16 weeks deadline, or request a waiver of training prior to the 8/16 deadlines, if
appropriate.
BETC TAA Welcome – Last Revised 12/20/13
Waivers will only be considered for the following reasons:
Recall Waiver - Worker will be recalled reasonably soon as verified in writing by
the employer.
Marketable Skills Waiver - The worker has a marketable skill for suitable
employment and a reasonable expectation for employment in the foreseeable
future.
Pension Waiver - The worker is within two years of eligibility for a pension or
social security.
Health Waiver – worker provides required documentation of health problems
Training Not Available Waiver –
Enrollment Not Available Waiver – provided due to delay in start date of training.
The waiver will entitle the worker to Basic TRA benefits for 26 weeks only. To receive
additional TRA benefits (52 weeks more), you must be enrolled in approved training.
Marketable Skills Waiver
This is the most common type of waiver from training provided. This allows you
additional time to continue your job search with the assistance of our staff and allows you
to continue to receive an allowance for 26 more weeks. Should you not be successful in
finding employment within the first 90 days of the waiver, we will work with you to
determine other options available, such as training.
In order to obtain a waiver we require a commitment to the following:
 You be registered and active with the NYS Job Bank.
 That you meet in person every 30 days with your Career Counselor to review your
job search efforts and develop a work plan for the next thirty days.
 That you attend any workshop identified by your Career Counselor. Generally this
will mean attendance at the How to Find a Job, Resume Writing and Interviewing
workshops. If your computer skills are minimal or non-existent, you will also be
required to attend one of our introductory computer classes.
 That you will notify us immediately should you get a job.
 That you meet all other requirements for receiving TRA and TAA.
TAA Overview
Federal Trade Act Brochure
BETC TAA Welcome – Last Revised 12/20/13