(a) A State must carry out an initial assessment for each trade-affected worker as part of the intake process described in section 239(g) of the Act. When applicable, a State must use the results of an assessment developed by a partner program, supplemented if necessary, as described in §618.330(e).

(b) The results of the initial assessment will determine the best service strategy to assist the trade-affected worker in obtaining reemployment and provide insight into which benefits and services under the TAA Program and partner programs would be most beneficial to the worker. The initial assessment of the availability of suitable employment to the worker in the local labor market must take into consideration the following factors:

(1) Prevailing local labor market conditions, including the unemployment rate, local employer skill demands and hiring prerequisites;

(2) The worker's knowledge, skills, and abilities from his or her education and previous employment;

(3) Transferable skills that the worker may possess that would be of interest to other local employers;

(4) Evaluation of a worker's skill levels (including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs; and

(5) Any barriers to the worker's reemployment, such as:

(i) Lack of applicability of skills from the worker's present occupation to other occupations;

(ii) Skills that are in excess supply in the labor market area; or

(iii) Other barriers as outlined in WIOA section 3(24).

(c) Based upon the information gathered in the initial assessment, described in paragraph (a) of this section, the State may:

(1) Determine that suitable employment is available to the trade-affected worker, and if so, the State must make available employment and case management services. If the worker disagrees with the determination, the State must make available to the worker a comprehensive and specialized assessment (under §618.345) to obtain additional information to determine whether the initial assessment was correct.

(2) Determine that no suitable employment is available to the worker and, if so, the State must make available services as described in §618.310 (responsibilities for the delivery of employment and case management services) and a comprehensive and specialized assessment (as described in §618.345) to develop a comprehensive service strategy for the trade-affected worker.

(d) If the State determines under paragraph (c) of this section that suitable employment is not available to a trade-affected worker, even with additional employment and case management services, the State must advise the worker to apply for training under subpart F of this part.