Rhode Island § 28-44-60 - Employment Security — Benefits

§ 28-44-60. Eligibility for adult basic education or vocational training.

(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this title to the contrary, a claimant shall not be ineligible for benefits because of his or her regular attendance, whether full-time or part-time, in an adult basic education or a vocational training program as approved by the director and as defined in § 16-63-5(1) and (2); provided, that the director finds that:

(1) The contemplated education or training course will enhance the claimant’s employability in an occupation or skill for which there are, or are expected to be in the immediate future, employment opportunities in the locality;

(2) The contemplated education or training course will be acquired through an entity in the delivery system set forth in § 16-63-9(a) except subdivisions (5) and (10); and

(3) The claimant has the required qualifications and aptitudes to complete the education or training successfully.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, no otherwise eligible individual shall be denied benefits for any week because he or she is in training approved under 19 U.S.C. § 2296(a)(1), nor shall that individual be denied benefits by reason of leaving work to enter that training; provided, that the work left is not suitable employment, or because of the application to any week in training of provisions in this law or any applicable federal unemployment compensation law, relating to availability for work, active search for work, or refusal to accept work. For purposes of this section, “suitable employment” means, with respect to an individual, work of a substantially equal or higher skill level than the individual’s past adversely affected employment, as defined for purposes of the Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq., and wages for that work at not less than 80 percent (80%) of the individual’s average weekly wage as determined for the purposes of the Trade Act of 1974.