Employer-Led Student Learning Program

An employer-led program means there is no high school involved partner, and therefore a waiver is required to allow certain hazardous work activities under certain conditions. Being granted a waiver involves an application process, which is outlined below.

Required Information for Application

  • Basic employer information, like your employer point of contact and address.
  • Identification of the specific hazardous activities.
  • Who conducts the training and supervises the 16- and 17-year-olds, and the credentials that qualify those individuals.
  • The training plan and related materials.
  • Certain guarantees by the employer that they are complying with state law.

Application Steps

  1. Gather the following information to assist in application completion.
    1. Employer information.
    2. Identification of the specific hazardous activities.
    3. Information specific to the individual(s) who will be conducting the training, name, title, credentials that qualify the individual, relevant experience.
    4. Information specific to the individual(s) who will supervise the 16- and 17- year old employee(s), name, title, credentials that qualify those individual(s), relevant experience.
    5. The training plan and related materials. These will be provided as part of the application process.
  2. Complete and submit the youth employment waiver application:
    1. Iowa Youth Employment: Employer Led Work-Based Learning Waiver Application
  3. Once completed, email Kathy Leggett at Kathy.leggett@iwd.iowa.gov. Please put "Youth Waiver Application" in the subject line and attach your training plan and related materials. 

Application Review Process

  1. The application is reviewed to assess whether additional information is needed.
  2. If follow-up information is needed, Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) will contact the employer to request the information.
  3. Complete application information is reviewed by IWD and the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL).
  4. With DIAL’s comments, the application is reviewed by an internal IWD committee.
  5. The application and committee recommendations are reviewed by the IWD Director.
  6. Upon completion of this process, the employer will be notified whether they have been approved or denied.
  7. If the application is approved, IWD will send you a company-specific parent permission form to use that defines the nature of the hazardous activity.

For more information, visit the Youth Employment Waiver's main page.