Self-Employed in Washington? You May Qualify for Funded Job Training (2026)

In This Guide

• Why this feels so hard and how this guide helps
• Washington’s 2026 safety net for gig and self-employed workers
• Who qualifies as self-employed under Worker Retraining
• How Worker Retraining helps formerly self-employed Washingtonians
• How to prove you were self-employed and hit by the economy
• Rideshare and delivery drivers: what changed and what to collect
• Other supports: SEAP, Training Benefits, and the Washington Jobs Initi
• Choosing a training path that actually leads to work
• Why tech and cybersecurity are viable options - and Nucamp’s role
• A step-by-step route from income drop to funded training
• Common questions and myths for self-employed Washingtonians
• Finding your route and taking the next hold
• Frequently Asked Questions

Washington’s 2026 safety net for gig and self-employed workers

Seeing the whole wall before you pick a route

Picture yourself at home with three tabs open: one for unemployment benefits, one for your local community college, and one for some news story about “high-demand careers.” Each page mentions different programs - Worker Retraining, SEAP, Training Benefits, the Washington Jobs Initiative - but none of them clearly say, “Here’s what this means if you were self-employed or doing gig work.” It feels like looking up at an entire climbing wall without knowing which color tape is yours.

Underneath that confusion, Washington actually has a fairly structured safety net for people whose work has dried up. The state’s community and technical colleges, coordinated by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), describe Worker Retraining as a way to help people “gain the skills needed to be competitive in today’s job market” through occupational and basic-skills training. That framework explicitly allows colleges to consider workers who were self-employed within the last 24 months and are now unemployed because of economic conditions, which is where many gig workers and small business owners fit.

The main “routes” on the wall

Most of the support you’ll hear about clusters around a few major programs. The Worker Retraining Program helps cover tuition and related costs at community and technical colleges and some private career schools when you’ve lost work or significant income; colleges use it for professional-technical certificates, associate degrees, and short occupational programs. The Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) lets certain unemployment insurance (UI) claimants keep getting weekly benefits while they work on starting a business, instead of doing the usual job-search activities required by unemployment rules, as outlined by the Employment Security Department on its SEAP information page.

For people already on UI, the Training Benefits Program can add up to 26 extra weeks of unemployment payments - up to a total of 52 weeks - if you’re in approved training for a high-demand field such as healthcare, HVAC, or IT. Running alongside these is the Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI), a $23.5 million effort aimed at placing at least 3,150 people into high-paying jobs by 2026 in sectors like healthcare, clean energy, and technology, according to the description shared by Career Connect Washington. Local areas also braid in federal and state grants, including Economic Security for All (EcSA), to fill holes when someone doesn’t fit neatly into one category.

Where self-employed and gig workers fit

If you never had a traditional layoff, it’s easy to assume none of this applies. But SBCTC’s own student-facing description of Worker Retraining makes clear that you don’t have to come from a W-2 job to get help. One of the recognized eligibility paths is being a “formerly self-employed” worker who is unemployed or significantly underemployed due to general economic conditions or a natural disaster. That category can include sole proprietors, 1099 contractors, rideshare and delivery drivers, and freelancers whose client work simply isn’t there anymore.

In practice, that means your main “color” on the wall might be the self-employed route under Worker Retraining, rather than SEAP or Training Benefits. You might use Worker Retraining to attend a program at your local college, or a high-demand private career school that has been approved - for example, Nucamp operates as an approved Private Career School for Worker Retraining and offers structured paths into tech and cybersecurity. But which of these programs you can actually grab depends on your specific situation and the judgment of local staff; Worker Retraining coordinators at each college have real discretion, guided by SBCTC policy and labor market data from sources like the statewide Worker Retraining student resource.

How this guide helps you “stay on your color”

The goal of this guide is not to turn you into an expert on every acronym; it’s to help you figure out which route is realistically yours so you’re not trying to grab every hold at once. We’ll break down, step by step, how to match your situation to the categories colleges and WorkSource offices actually use, and how programs like Worker Retraining, SEAP, Training Benefits, WJI, and EcSA can line up behind a single training plan instead of pulling you in different directions. As you move through the next sections, you’ll see how to take that messy mix of tax returns, app earnings, and emails from lost clients and turn it into a clear, documented story that fits one of the recognized colors on Washington’s safety net wall.

Who qualifies as self-employed under Worker Retraining

Starting with the paperwork in your hand

Imagine sitting at your kitchen table with last year’s tax return open. You see a Schedule C for your photography side business, or app income reported on a 1099 from Uber, DoorDash, or a freelance platform. The big question is: does this actually make you “self-employed” for Washington’s Worker Retraining program, or was it just a side hustle the system won’t recognize? Under Worker Retraining rules, the definition of self-employment is much broader than just owning a storefront or having employees, and it’s based largely on what you reported to the IRS.

The 24-month rule and “formerly self-employed” category

For Worker Retraining, colleges look at whether you were self-employed in the last 24 months and are now unemployed or significantly underemployed because of broader economic conditions or a natural disaster. That can include sole proprietors, independent contractors, and gig workers whose income showed up on forms like Schedule C or Schedule SE. Local college pages, such as Renton Technical College’s Worker Retraining overview, spell this out in plain language: if you were self-employed in roughly the past two years and lost work due to an economic downturn, you may be considered under this category. The exact determination is made by each college’s Workforce Education or Worker Retraining office, using statewide policy as a guide.

Concrete profiles that usually fit

To make this less abstract, here are the kinds of stories that often line up with the “formerly self-employed due to economic conditions” route colleges use:

• A wedding photographer who reported most income on a Schedule C and saw bookings plummet when local couples cut budgets.
• A home-based bookkeeper whose 1099 income dropped sharply after several small-business clients closed or downsized.
• A rideshare driver whose app summaries show solid earnings one year and a steep decline the next after platform rate changes and fewer trips.
• A freelance web developer or designer who relied on project-based 1099 work that dried up when major clients halted contracts.
• An Etsy or online-shop owner whose sales fell off due to shifts in consumer spending or supply costs, even though the shop technically still exists.

How colleges decide if your self-employment “counts”

There isn’t a single statewide switch that automatically approves everyone with gig income. A Worker Retraining or Workforce Education specialist at your local college will look at your tax forms, recent income, and explanation of what changed in your market, then decide whether you fit the “formerly self-employed” category or another route. They’re trained to interpret these guidelines and match them to your real situation, not just a job title. Private career schools that participate in Worker Retraining, such as Nucamp, mirror these same categories in their own Washington Worker Retraining scholarships, explicitly listing “formerly self-employed (economic conditions)” and “vulnerable worker” as eligibility paths on their Washington Worker Retraining information page. The safest move is to assume you might qualify, gather your documents, and let the college or training provider walk through the details with you rather than ruling yourself out from the start.

How Worker Retraining helps formerly self-employed Washingtonians

What Worker Retraining actually does for you

One of the most practical questions is: what does Worker Retraining actually do once you’re coded as eligible? In concrete terms, it can cover full or partial tuition for professional-technical programs at Washington’s community and technical colleges, along with some fees and, in many cases, help with books or supplies when funding allows. Colleges use these dollars for occupational skills training that leads to certificates, associate degrees, and other job-focused credentials, not for general-interest classes.

Worker Retraining can also fund short-term occupational programs and certain basic skills or literacy courses if you need to shore up math, English, or digital skills before you can handle a technical program. That’s important if you’ve been out of school for a while or your self-employment never required spreadsheets, email, or more advanced computer work. The goal is not just to put you in any classroom, but to move you toward a job that shows up on Washington’s “high-demand” lists, using real labor-market data from the Employment Security Department.

How the process works when you were self-employed

If you’re coming from gig work or your own business, your first real “rest hold” is a meeting with a Workforce Education or Worker Retraining office at a nearby college. Places like Clark College’s Worker Retraining program lay out a similar sequence: you share your work history and income drop, staff review your documents, and then they decide whether you fit one of the funded categories, including “formerly self-employed due to economic conditions.”

Once you’re coded as eligible, that same office helps you choose a program that leads to a job in demand locally. They’ll often layer Worker Retraining with other grants or aid you qualify for so more of your direct costs are covered. If you’re approved to attend a private career school that participates in Worker Retraining - for example, Nucamp as an online tech and cybersecurity provider - the college or the school itself will coordinate how those state training dollars are applied to your tuition. You’re not expected to figure out the funding braid on your own; your job is to be honest and thorough about your situation so they can do that work.

The eligibility “buckets” you might fall into

Worker Retraining isn’t a single yes/no switch. Instead, colleges sort people into several eligibility buckets that all connect to the same pot of training money. Common categories include workers who are currently on unemployment insurance, people who exhausted UI within the last 48 months, those with a formal layoff notice, and individuals in “stop-gap” jobs who are working below their previous skill level just to get by. For self-employed and gig workers, the key category is being formerly self-employed and now unemployed or underemployed due to economic conditions, backed up by tax returns and a clear explanation of what changed.

Colleges may also code people as displaced homemakers, recently separated military members or veterans, or “vulnerable workers” under expanded definitions that recognize unstable or low-wage employment. Private career schools that participate in Worker Retraining mirror these same categories in their own scholarship or intake processes, so the underlying rules stay consistent even if you’re not sitting in a traditional campus classroom.

Why local discretion matters to your story

Behind the scenes, Worker Retraining coordinators use state-level guidelines and local labor data to decide who qualifies and which programs get funded. They look at things like the Employment Security Department’s demand/decline occupation lists and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ coding guidance, then match that to what you bring in: your tax forms, your income timeline, and your description of how the market shifted around you. That’s why your individual story, told clearly and backed by documents, is so important.

“These workforce programs really do change lives, creating a path to economic self-sufficiency for people who’ve been knocked down by circumstances beyond their control.” - Ashley Curtin, scholarship recipient, quoted in The Leavenworth Echo

What Worker Retraining can’t do is guarantee that every self-employed person will be approved or that every program you’re interested in will be funded. There are real limits: funding levels, local priorities, and strict rules about which occupations count as “in demand.” But if you treat that first meeting with a Workforce Education office like clipping into a belay - bringing your best documentation and a straightforward explanation of your income drop - you give them what they need to decide whether they can keep you on the rope and help you move into training that leads somewhere more stable.

How to prove you were self-employed and hit by the economy

Chalking up: the two kinds of proof you’ll need

Think of this step like dipping your hands in chalk halfway up the wall: it’s messy, but it’s what gives you enough grip to move. For Worker Retraining, colleges usually need two distinct things from you. First, proof that you were self-employed within the last 24 months. Second, proof that the economy - not just personal choice - is what knocked your work down. When you hear staff talk about “coding you as formerly self-employed due to economic conditions,” this is the evidence they’re looking for.

Proof you were self-employed: what counts on paper

The strongest proof almost always starts with your federal tax return. If you filed a Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Business) or a Schedule SE (Self-Employment Tax), or you received income on one or more 1099 forms, that’s clear evidence that you worked for yourself. Colleges will typically ask for your most recent one or two years of returns, then look to see how much of your income came from self-employment versus wages from an employer. If you didn’t file a Schedule C but were paid through platforms or contracts, app earnings summaries, invoices, or payment records can help fill in the picture.

Showing it was the economy, not just a personal choice

Once you’ve shown you were self-employed, the next step is explaining why the work stopped. For Worker Retraining, colleges are looking for a link to general economic conditions or similar forces: a slowdown in your industry, rising costs that wiped out your margins, a local market shift, or platform changes that gutted your pay. They’ll often use a short self-attestation form where you briefly describe what you did, when your income started dropping, and what changed around you. You can attach supporting evidence like bank statements showing declining deposits, emails from clients canceling contracts due to budget cuts, or screenshots of platform messages about new pay structures. Many college sites, such as Yakima Valley College’s Worker Retraining page, spell out that you do not need a formal business-closure certificate; they’re more interested in clear, documented proof that your work is no longer viable in the current market.

Putting it together into a clear, credible story

What ultimately matters is how these pieces fit together into a simple, believable narrative. A college coordinator might see, for example, a landscaper whose Schedule C shows solid income one year and a steep drop the next, paired with invoices that stopped when a major commercial client sold their property, and a self-attestation explaining how higher fuel and equipment costs made small residential jobs unprofitable. That’s the kind of “chalked up” case that lets them safely code you as a formerly self-employed worker hit by economic conditions, if their local labor data supports it.

“When students come in with their paperwork and a clear timeline of what happened to their business, it’s much easier for us to connect them with the right training dollars.” - Workforce education staff member, quoted in Washington Workforce Watch

You don’t have to write a novel. A one-page timeline, copies of your key tax forms, and a few well-chosen supporting documents are usually enough to give the person on the other side of the desk a firm grip on your situation. From there, they can focus less on proving that you were “really” self-employed and more on helping you find a training route that actually leads to steadier work.

Rideshare and delivery drivers: what changed and what to collect

Why rideshare and delivery drivers are a special case

If most of your income came from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or similar apps, your paperwork probably looks different from a traditional small business owner. Instead of invoices and business checks, you have app dashboards and weekly payouts. For Worker Retraining, colleges still treat this as self-employment in most cases, but recent Washington laws carved out a specific category for transportation network company (TNC) drivers that doesn’t apply to food delivery. That split can be confusing when you’re trying to explain your income drop to a Workforce Education office, so it helps to know which side of the line you’re on before you start the conversation.

What changed for rideshare (TNC) drivers

As of July 1, 2024, Washington law gives rideshare drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft some new protections. They are now covered by workers’ compensation, and there is a pilot that lets them opt in to build eligibility for Paid Family and Medical Leave, changes highlighted in the Employment Security Department’s own update for rideshare drivers. These rules apply specifically to TNC drivers transporting passengers. Food delivery drivers (for example, DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub) are not included in that TNC category and remain under the more general independent-contractor rules, including when colleges evaluate them for Worker Retraining.

How colleges may look at your situation

For Worker Retraining, the legal distinctions mainly matter because they change how clearly the state can see your work history. Whether you drove passengers or delivered food, the college will usually start from the same place: you were effectively running a one-person business, and now that business is no longer bringing in enough money due to changes in demand, pay formulas, or local conditions. You’ll be asked to show that most of your income in the last 24 months came from this work and that you’re now unemployed or significantly underemployed. The Worker Retraining coordinator then decides whether to code you as “formerly self-employed due to economic conditions,” or sometimes under another category if you also had W-2 jobs or unemployment benefits in the mix.

The documents to download and save now

Before you talk to anyone at a college or WorkSource, it helps to download everything you can from your apps and tax records so you’re not trying to grab data while you’re on the phone. For most drivers, that means your most recent tax return with a Schedule C or Schedule SE, all 1099 forms from each platform, and at least 12-24 months of app earnings summaries. Add a simple timeline showing when your weekly or monthly averages dropped and, if possible, screenshots or emails about rate cuts, reduced bonuses, or fewer trips and orders available in your area. Put those in a single folder you can email or bring to your first appointment; it gives the person on the other side of the desk a clear view of how the “route” changed under your feet and why you’re now looking for a different, more stable climb.

Other supports: SEAP, Training Benefits, and the Washington Jobs Initi

When help goes beyond just paying for classes

Once you’ve figured out that Worker Retraining might help with tuition, the next question is usually, “But how do I survive while I’m in class?” If you’re on unemployment insurance, your ESD dashboard or a WorkSource counselor may mention programs like SEAP or Training Benefits. They sound like more acronyms on an already crowded wall, but these are the pieces that can keep money coming in while you retrain, instead of forcing you to choose between job search and school.

SEAP: building a business instead of doing job search

The Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) is designed for people who are already receiving regular unemployment benefits and want to use that time to start or grow a business. If you’re approved, SEAP lets you keep getting weekly UI payments while you work on your business plan, and it waives the normal work-search requirement. Behind the scenes, the Employment Security Department uses a “worker profiling” score to decide who’s eligible; state reports have flagged a score above about 30.6 as a typical cut-off in recent years for identifying people likely to exhaust benefits without extra help. To participate, you must enroll in an approved entrepreneurship training program, which can include offerings at community colleges and certain workforce partners.

Training Benefits: extra time on unemployment while you retrain

The Training Benefits program is another option for people already on unemployment insurance. Instead of focusing on self-employment, it supports you while you’re in approved training for a high-demand occupation such as healthcare, HVAC, or IT. If ESD signs off on your training plan before you start, Training Benefits can add weeks of UI payments beyond your regular claim, effectively extending how long you can stay in school without losing all income. A legislative review of Washington’s Training Benefits program, available through a JLARC evaluation, emphasizes that participants must stay on track in their approved program and continue meeting ESD’s reporting rules to keep those additional weeks.

Washington Jobs Initiative: extra fuel behind certain pathways

The Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) isn’t something you usually “apply for” directly. It’s a large, time-limited state investment flowing through colleges, workforce boards, and community partners to move thousands of residents into better-paying roles in sectors like healthcare, clean energy, and technology. When you meet with a WorkSource counselor or college Workforce Education office, they may quietly tap WJI dollars to cover parts of your training or support services if your chosen program lines up with those priority industries, even if you never see “WJI” printed on your paperwork. In some regions, that might include tech-focused options like Nucamp or other approved private career schools, alongside community and technical college programs.

How to ask whether these supports apply to you

If you’re currently on unemployment insurance, it’s worth asking directly about these add-ons so you’re not leaving help on the table. You don’t need to know all the rules; you just need to ask the right questions.

1. Log into your unemployment account and note your benefit end date and current weekly amount.
2. Contact WorkSource and say, “I’m interested in training. Can you check whether I might qualify for SEAP or Training Benefits if I enroll in an approved program?”
3. When you talk with a college or training provider, ask, “If I choose this program, does it meet ESD’s requirements for Training Benefits, and do you have any WJI or other funds that could help fill gaps?”

If you’re not on unemployment, SEAP and Training Benefits are probably off the table, but WJI-backed slots and other grants may still be available through your college or local workforce partners. In either case, treating these programs as potential add-ons to Worker Retraining - not separate walls to climb - will help you and your advisors build one coherent plan rather than juggling three or four disconnected routes at once.

Choosing a training path that actually leads to work

Start from jobs, not classes

When you’re choosing a training path, it’s tempting to start with course catalogs or bootcamp websites. A quieter but more effective place to start is with actual job postings in your area. Open a job site, filter for your region in Washington, and search for entry-level roles you’d realistically want in 6-18 months: medical assistant, HVAC apprentice, junior web developer, security analyst, accounting assistant. Make a quick note of which certifications, degrees, or skills keep showing up; those requirements are the “top holds” of the route you’re about to choose.

Washington’s colleges and workforce system do something similar at a larger scale. They lean on statewide Occupations in Demand data from the Employment Security Department to decide which programs qualify as high-demand, and Worker Retraining dollars are steered toward those fields. That’s why you’ll see a lot of emphasis on areas like healthcare, skilled trades, information technology and cybersecurity, and business support roles. When your target job aligns with those lists, it’s usually easier for a Workforce Education office to justify using Worker Retraining funds for your tuition.

Comparing short, medium, and long routes

Once you know the kinds of jobs you’re aiming at, you can pick a training “route grade” that matches your current energy, time, and finances. Not everyone needs a two-year degree; not everyone will be comfortable betting everything on a three-month sprint. For many formerly self-employed or gig workers, the realistic choice is something between those extremes.

Reality check: time, money, and support

Before you lock in a path, do a frank check-in with your calendar and your bank account. How many hours a week can you realistically give to class, homework, and labs without burning out? How many months of reduced income can you absorb? Worker Retraining can help with tuition, and for tech-focused private career schools like Nucamp, that can mean up to 80% of tuition covered, with the student paying about $100 per month for five months and Worker Retraining funds covering the rest when eligibility and funding line up. On top of that, low- and middle-income Washington residents may qualify for the Washington College Grant, which the Washington Student Achievement Council describes as a program that “gives eligible people money for college or career training” that doesn’t have to be repaid, whether they choose a public college or an approved private career school, as outlined on the Washington College Grant information page.

Putting these pieces together with a Workforce Education advisor lets you see the full picture: maybe Worker Retraining covers most of your tuition, a grant helps with books or fees, and if you’re on unemployment, Training Benefits extends your weeks of support while you’re in an approved program. Knowing your true time and money limits up front makes it much easier to choose a route you can actually finish.

A simple checklist to pick your path

To keep this from turning into an endless scroll of options, give yourself a short, structured process and treat it like following a marked route on the wall rather than wandering from hold to hold.

1. Identify 3-5 real job titles you’d want in the next 6-18 months and write down the common credentials or skills they require.
2. List 3 programs that match those requirements: at least one community or technical college program, and, if tech interests you, one focused bootcamp option such as a web development or cybersecurity track.
3. For each program, note the length, weekly time commitment, and total out-of-pocket cost after Worker Retraining and any grants you might receive.
4. Review the list with a WorkSource counselor or college Workforce/Worker Retraining office and ask plainly, “Which of these options is most realistic for me to complete and most likely to lead to a job in this area?”

By the time you’ve worked through that checklist, you won’t just have a catalog of classes; you’ll have a specific, fundable training route that lines up with real jobs, your actual life constraints, and the support Washington’s system can offer you right now.

Why tech and cybersecurity are viable options - and Nucamp’s role

Why tech and cybersecurity make sense for career changers

For a lot of former gig workers and small business owners, tech and cybersecurity are appealing because they offer flexible schedules, remote or hybrid roles, and clear entry points where employers care more about skills than about a perfect resume. If you’ve been juggling apps, troubleshooting your own website, or managing online bookings, you already have more digital experience than you might give yourself credit for. The key shift is moving from informal, self-taught tech use into structured skills that match real job descriptions like junior web developer, IT support specialist, or security analyst.

How tech and cyber fit Worker Retraining priorities

From the funding side, information technology and cybersecurity typically show up on Washington’s “high-demand” occupation lists, which is what colleges and workforce boards use when they decide which programs Worker Retraining can support. That’s why you’ll see many community and technical colleges offering short, job-focused IT certificates and why private career schools can be approved when they clearly lead to similar roles. Workforce grants across the state, including those highlighted on sites that track workforce development grants in Washington, often prioritize exactly these kinds of in-demand, tech-related skills because they connect directly to employer needs in multiple industries.

Nucamp’s role for Washington learners

Within that larger tech landscape, Nucamp operates as an officially approved Private Career School for Washington’s Worker Retraining program, which means colleges and workforce staff can treat its bootcamps as eligible training options when they align with local high-demand lists. Through Nucamp’s Washington Worker Retraining scholarship, qualifying students can have up to 80% of tuition covered by state funding, paying about $100 per month for five months (a total of $500 out-of-pocket) while Worker Retraining dollars cover the remaining tuition when funding is available. The three eligible tracks are designed specifically for career changers: Web Development Fundamentals plus Full Stack & Mobile Development, Back End with SQL and Python, and Cybersecurity Fundamentals, each bundled with job-hunting support. All of them are 100% online, include weekly live workshops with instructors in small groups, and come with career services like resume help, portfolio review, and interview prep. Nucamp’s programs are also open to veterans under Worker Retraining rules (if you meet the state’s recent-discharge criteria), but they are not GI Bill-eligible, so veterans would use Washington’s training funds rather than VA education benefits.

Questions to ask before you commit to a tech route

Before you clip into a tech or cybersecurity program, it’s worth having a frank conversation with a WorkSource counselor or college Workforce/Worker Retraining advisor about whether that route really fits your situation. Bring a short list of programs you’re considering - for example, a one-year IT support certificate at a local college and a Nucamp bootcamp - and ask questions like: “Is this field considered high-demand in our region right now?”, “Can Worker Retraining and other funds cover most of the tuition for this specific program?”, and “What kinds of entry-level jobs do your graduates actually get from this path?” That way, if you choose Nucamp or any other tech training option, you’ll be doing it with your belayer’s full view of the wall - not just because tech sounds interesting, but because it lines up with funding, employer demand, and a realistic next job for you.

A step-by-step route from income drop to funded training

Turn a scary income drop into a clear starting point

The first “move” on this route happens at your own kitchen table, not in a government office. Before you call anyone, sit down with your last one or two tax returns, any 1099s from clients or apps, and a few months of bank or app-earnings statements. Your goal is to write a short, factual summary of what changed: what you were doing for income, when it started to fall, and why. Keep it to a few sentences. That simple story, backed by documents, is what Worker Retraining coordinators and WorkSource staff will use to see if you fit categories like “formerly self-employed due to economic conditions,” dislocated worker, or vulnerable worker.

Move in order: from documentation to advisors to a training plan

Once you’ve gathered your paperwork and written your short story, you can start clipping into the system instead of free-climbing it. A straightforward sequence keeps you from trying to grab every hold at once:

1. Gather proof: Pull your tax return (with Schedule C or SE if you filed them), 1099s, app earnings summaries, and a simple timeline of when your income dropped.
2. Contact WorkSource: Call or visit your local WorkSource and say you’re interested in training after losing self-employment or gig income. Ask to talk with someone about eligibility for programs tied to unemployment benefits, like Training Benefits, if you’re currently on UI.
3. Meet with a college Workforce/Worker Retraining office: Bring or email your documents and story so they can see if you qualify for Worker Retraining under self-employed, vulnerable worker, or another category.
4. Choose an approved program: With their help, identify one or two high-demand programs that fit your situation - this could be a certificate or degree at a community/technical college, or a focused bootcamp at an approved private career school such as Nucamp for tech and cybersecurity.
5. Apply for funding and finalize enrollment: Complete the Worker Retraining forms and any financial aid applications your college or training provider recommends. If you’re on UI, coordinate with WorkSource and ESD to see whether your chosen training can be approved for supports like the Training Benefits program.

Lock in the money side before class starts

Before you treat anything as “funded,” pause and confirm the details in writing. Ask the Workforce/Worker Retraining office to spell out which parts of your tuition and fees are covered by Worker Retraining and which costs are still yours. If you’re considering an approved private career school, like Nucamp’s online web development or cybersecurity bootcamps, clarify how much Worker Retraining will apply to that tuition and what payment schedule you’ll personally be on. If you qualify for additional help such as the Washington College Grant or local workforce grants, your advisor can usually show you a single, combined picture of how all those sources fit together for the specific program you’ve chosen.

Keep checking in as you climb

Once you’re enrolled and funding is in place, the work shifts to showing up for class and staying in touch with your belayers - your instructors, WorkSource counselor, and Workforce/Worker Retraining advisor. If something in your life changes (childcare, housing, health, or hours you can commit), talk to them early instead of quietly falling behind. They can sometimes adjust your plan, suggest different course loads, or help you connect to support services you didn’t know existed. Following this route one step at a time - story, documents, advisors, approved program, then funding and enrollment - turns a scary income drop into a structured climb toward a job that actually pays you back for all this effort.

Common questions and myths for self-employed Washingtonians

By the time you talk with a WorkSource counselor or a college Workforce office, you’ve probably already heard a lot of “I heard you have to…” rules from friends, social media, or even front-desk staff who don’t specialize in these programs. It’s completely normal to walk in thinking you’re disqualified because you were self-employed, or because your situation doesn’t look like a classic layoff. The reality is more nuanced: state policy sets the frame, and then local Worker Retraining coordinators interpret it case by case.

One of the biggest worries is, “I have no unemployment benefits - does that mean there’s no training help for me?” Programs that extend or reshape unemployment payments, like SEAP or Training Benefits, do require that you’re already on UI. But tuition-focused programs such as Worker Retraining can sometimes support people who were self-employed or in unstable work even if they never paid into unemployment insurance. Colleges look at your recent income, your documentation, and how clearly economic shifts - not just personal choice - have damaged your business or gigs. That’s why you’ll see schools like Bellevue College explicitly inviting “formerly self-employed” applicants on their Worker Retraining information page, alongside people coming from more traditional layoffs.

Another common myth is that you must formally close your business - dissolve an LLC, shut down a website, or cancel every license - before anyone will talk to you. In practice, Worker Retraining staff care more about whether your work is still economically viable than about whether the business exists on paper. If your bookings, rides, or client invoices have dried up and you can show that with tax returns and recent income records, you can usually have an honest conversation about eligibility without shutting the door forever on occasional freelance work or a future side hustle. The key is to be transparent about what you’re still doing, how often, and how much it brings in.

People also often assume that because their gig work started as a side gig, it won’t matter. What Worker Retraining coordinators look at is where your primary income has been coming from recently and what’s actually keeping - or not keeping - the lights on. If your “side” work gradually became the main way you paid rent, and that’s the income that disappeared, it’s worth bringing that story and documentation in. Similarly, if you’ve tried college before and it didn’t go well, that doesn’t automatically rule you out. Staff are less interested in judging your previous college experience and more focused on whether a new, job-focused program now makes sense for your skills, responsibilities, and local labor market.

The most useful thing you can do is write down your own list of worries - no UI, business still technically open, past withdrawals from classes, caregiving responsibilities - and take that list into your first meeting. Treat it like part of your documentation. Worker Retraining and WorkSource advisors spend their days untangling exactly these questions; bringing your myths into the open gives them a chance to explain how the rules really work in your situation, and whether there’s a safe, realistic route up the wall from where you’re standing now.

Finding your route and taking the next hold

Seeing your own route on the wall

At this point you’ve done something most people never do: you’ve stepped back far enough from the chaos to see that Washington’s workforce system is a climbing wall, not a blank one-way drop. You know there are different colors on that wall - Worker Retraining for tuition, unemployment-linked supports like Training Benefits, larger efforts like the Washington Jobs Initiative, and training options at colleges and approved schools, including online tech bootcamps such as Nucamp. The critical shift now is to stop trying to memorize the whole gym and focus on your route: the specific combination of programs, documents, and conversations that fits your story of lost self-employment or gig income.

Who’s holding the rope with you

You’re not expected to climb this alone. Local WorkSource centers are there to talk through job search and unemployment-related supports, and they regularly host orientations and workshops that explain training options in plain language; you can see examples of those events on the statewide WorkSource workshops and hiring events calendar. Community and technical college Workforce or Worker Retraining offices help translate your tax returns and app earnings into eligibility codes and concrete training plans. And once you’re in a program - whether that’s a healthcare certificate, a trades program, or a Nucamp web development or cybersecurity bootcamp funded through Worker Retraining - your instructors and career services staff become part of the belay team too, helping you turn classroom work into interviews and offers.

Three moves you can make this week

To keep this from staying theoretical, give yourself three specific, doable next steps. First, write your situation in one or two sentences - what kind of self-employment or gig work you did, when the income dropped, and why - and tuck it next to your latest tax return with any 1099s or app earnings summaries. Second, schedule a short conversation with your nearest college’s Workforce or Worker Retraining office and send them that summary and paperwork ahead of time so they can tell you honestly which eligibility categories they see as possibilities. Third, pick one or two training options that genuinely interest you - a college program and, if tech appeals to you, an online path like Nucamp’s Worker Retraining-eligible bootcamps - and ask both your college contact and a WorkSource counselor, “Does this fit our region’s high-demand list, and how could Worker Retraining and other funds help me pay for it?”

Those steps won’t solve everything in a week, but they do move you from staring at the wall to actually taking the next hold. You’ll have your story on paper, your documents in order, and at least one person in the system who knows your name and your route. From there, every rest ledge - being coded as eligible, getting Worker Retraining approved, enrolling in a funded program - is one more stable place to stand while you climb toward work that’s steadier than what you lost.

Frequently Asked Questions