EFFECTIVE JULY 1: Vocational Retraining and SET Fund Adjustments

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent this bulletin at 06/09/2026 07:28 AM PDT

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Effective July 1: Vocational Retraining and SET Fund Adjustments

Attention all vocational firm owners and managers: Please share with your staff.

Funding for approved vocational retraining and participation in Skill Enhancement Training (SET) is going up, effective July 1.

L&I’s annual vocational retraining fund:

  • The maximum funding available for retraining plans, approved on or after July 1, 2026, is $21,332.40, up from the current $20,914.12.
  • The amount of the maximum training fund applies after the plan’s approval, regardless of whether a worker chooses Option 1 or Option 2.

Skill Enhancement Training:

  • The funding for SET is equal to 25% of the maximum funding available for vocational retraining.
  • The maximum amount available for SET, approved on or after July 1, 2026, is $5,333.10, up from the current $5,228.53.

The adjustments are based on tuition information from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the average cost of a two-year retraining plan.

Please email questions to the Vocational Recovery Project.

This memo will be posted to L&I’s “What’s New for Vocational Counselors” web page.