Going back to school in California to get EMT certification, but need to keep collecting unemployment

I was let go at the end of September from from my 9-5 job in a standard business environment working in the marketing department. I have a bachelors degree in business.

I currently would like to go back to community college in January for Emergency Medical
Technician courses that are 7.5 units for the entire semester (jan-may). The classes are 6pm-8:30pm four nights per evening. The goal is to receive my EMT certificate so I can go to work for an ambulance company and build my experience to at some point join a fire department.

I understand I may still be able to collect unemployment insurance as these classes do not interfere with “normal hours” that I would work if I did gain employment in an industry similar to my past job. I also understand that I may be asked if I would be willing to drop or reduce classes if they did interfere with possible a job opportunity which I would be willing to do.

Am I taking a risk here by checking “yes” box on my bi-weekly EDD questionnaire? Can I call the EDD beforehand and ask if I would be eligible for unemployment if I attended these classes?

This is a tricky topic and I do not know how to proceed.

Help!

Thanks,

Dan

Hi Dan,

You better believe it’s a tricky issue, but so is have benefits suspended while the EDD investigates whether not checking the box was an intentional misrepresentation of material fact in an effort to keep your benefits.

However, as you might of noticed in some other post found back here, checking the “yes box I started school or training box” can halt benefits pending an interview to “determine” continuing eligibility and that interview may be a month or more in the future.

It’s a scary prospect I have no control over except to say it makes no sense whatsoever to compound the problems by knowingly, intentionally, misleading the EDD on a continuing claim form requiring you to certify under penalty of perjury” you were truthful.

If I were you, I’d call the EDD. Without approval from the department, the SOP in CA seems to be suspend, schedule interview.

But let me ask you this: Have you checked into the possibility of California Training Benefits? You can find details about job training programs on the EDD’s website.