Employment Training Panel approves ~25 training contracts totaling about $7 million

The Employment Training Panel on May 29 approved a slate of contractor proposals that, if fully implemented, will distribute about $7 million in training funds to employers across manufacturing, construction, food production and education.

Chair Rebecca Bettincourt presided as Executive Director Jessica Grimes told the panel the approvals would contribute to year-to-date accomplishments: 290 proposals approved in the 2025–26 fiscal year and an estimated 73,470 workers served. Laura Campbell, chief deputy director, said that after today’s actions the panel’s approved allocations would total roughly $84 million for the year.

The panel moved through agenda items in a series of tab votes. Contracts approved include Barnum Mechanical Inc. (contract ET26-0295 for $114,240 to train 68 workers), California Bath Restoration (Calspec Enterprises; delegation ~$112,000 for 50 trainees), CH Manufacturing West/Clayton Homes (ET26-0285, $312,200 for 223 workers), Dole Packaged Foods (ET26-0302, $495,264 for 536 workers), Envoy Inc. (rightsized, ~$22,860 for 161 workers), Foster Poultry Farms (rightsized ~$110,980 for 233 workers), Highlight Electric (approved with an agreed reduction in "productive lab" hours), Mlone Construction, Nura Management (a cannabis-sector applicant cleared as licensed by the state), North State Electric, ORPAC Holding Company, Telstar Instruments, True (TREC) Construction, Brand College (a multiple-employer training agency), Sacramento Builders Exchange, Salinas/Solidad Chamber of Commerce, Saddleback College and several other proposals that staff presented for panel action.

Panel members asked about wage progression and retention practices for proposals with significant numbers of lower-paid positions. For example, during the Dole Packaged Foods presentation a panel member pressed Dole for how quickly production staff in high-unemployment areas could reach the program’s higher wage tiers; Dole’s vice president of HR described annual merit increases, market reviews and promotion practices that the company said would support progression. Several education and multiple-employer contractors described certificate-of-completion curricula that prepare trainees to sit vendor certification exams (for example in IT certifications), but said the vendor exam scheduling and fees remain the trainee’s responsibility.

All of the tabbed contracts that reached a vote were approved by roll call. Where staff had identified the need to clarify training details, the panel attached conditions: for Highlight Electric the panel reduced productive-lab hours from the originally requested 35 hours per trainee to 12 hours and asked staff to tighten curriculum descriptions to reflect ETP definitions of productive lab. Several other awarded contracts had been "right-sized" to match prior earnings or to reflect more conservative performance expectations based on earlier ETP projects.

The panel’s roll-call approvals keep ETP’s pipeline moving into the summer. Panel members emphasized follow-up and monitoring for new or reconstituted contractors with recent turnover or prior contract performance shortfalls. Several presenters — including community college workforce units and sector intermediaries — described steps they are taking to strengthen data security, enrollment tracking and employer engagement to improve contract completion rates.

The panel adjourned at 12:01 p.m. and will meet again in July.